London 2012
- The Games
- The Athletes
- Olympic News
- Venues
- The 5 Sports
- Schedule
- Gallery
- Links
- Get Involved
- Did you know?
London 2012 Olympic Games
After a gruelling 12 month qualifying period, GBR had 5 women and 3 men who qualified for the Games. They were
- Katy Burke
- Heather Fell
- Samantha Murray
- Freyja Prentice
- Mhairi Spence
- Jamie Cooke
- Sam Weale
- Nick Woodbridge
The international rules permit only 2 athletes per nation to compete at the Games. The British Olympic Association (BOA) announced the team on 8th June. Find out who will represent Team GB.
Modern Pentathlon comprises five disparate disciplines; fencing, swimming, riding, shooting and running. The sport was introduced at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics by the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, and embraced the spirit of the Pentathlon of the ancient Greek Games, where the five sports were running, jumping, javelin, discus and wrestling. Find out more about the individual sports and, if you are inspired to have a go, how to get involved.
London 2012 Olympic Athletes
The Modern Pentathlon team to represent Great Britain at London 2012 was announced by the BOA on 8th June at
Greenwich.
GBR will be represented by Nick Woodbridge, Sam Weale, Mhairi Spence and Samantha Murray.
View their profiles, some images and their international results for the last 12 months below.
- Nick Woodbridge
- Sam Weale
- Mhairi Spence
- Samantha Murray
Nick Woodbridge's Profile
Nick Woodbridge's Results for Olympic Qualifying Period
Competition | Venue | Place |
Fence V/D |
Swim | Riding | CE | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Selection Competition #1
08/12/2012 |
Bath, ENG | 3 | 880 (9 ) | 1204 (3) | 1160 (8) | 1724 (15) | |
23 /19 | (4 :26.32) | (21 :9.17) | |||||
World Cup Final
26/05/2012 |
Chengdu, CHN | 5 | 784 (18 ) | 1388 (3) | 1180 (2) | 2316 (23) | 5668 |
16 /19 | (1 :57.83) | (11 :11.79) | |||||
World Championships
07/05/2012 |
Rome, ITA | 10 | 832 (15 ) | 1376 (3) | 1180 (4) | 2464 (14) | 5852 |
18 /17 | (1 :58.69) | (10 :34.50) | |||||
World Cup 3
(Qualification B) 12/04/2012 |
Szazhalombatta, HUN | 16 | 832 (16 ) | 1404 (5) | 2268 (20) | 4504 | |
16 /16 | (1 :56.49) | (11 :23.36) | |||||
World Cup 2
15/03/2012 |
Rio de Janeiro, BRA | 6 | 784 (21 ) | 1380 (2) | 1180 (5) | 2468 (16) | 5812 |
16 /19 | (1 :58.51) | (10 :33.40) | |||||
World Cup 1
08/03/2012 |
Charlotte, USA | 6 | 856 (9 ) | 1396 (3) | 1180 (3) | 2340 (35) | 5772 |
19 /16 | (1 :57.09) | (11 :5.26) | |||||
National Selection Competition #3
() 21/01/2012 |
Bath, ENG | 1 | 1000 (1 ) | 1388 (2) | 1180 (3) | 2280 (2) | |
22 /10 | (1 :57.72) | (11 :20.70) | |||||
National Selection Competition #2 & British Championships
() 17/12/2011 |
Bath, ENG | 4 | 1000 (1 ) | 1296 (5) | 848 (15) | 2088 (11) | |
28 /12 | (2 :5.64) | (12 :8.50) | |||||
National Selection Competition #1
() 03/12/2011 |
Bath, ENG | 2 | 808 (8 ) | 1348 (3) | 1200 (1) | 2220 (2) | |
19 /19 | (2 :1.02) | (11 :35.59) | |||||
World Championships
(Qualification B) 08/09/2011 |
Moscow, RUS | 18 | 832 (16 ) | 1368 (1) | 2284 (28) | 4484 | |
17 /18 | (1 :59.33) | (11 :19.00) | |||||
European Championships
28/07/2011 |
Medway, ENG | 26 | 784 (22 ) | 1444 (2) | 960 (31) | 2476 (31) | 5664 |
16 /19 | (1 :53.32) | (10 :31.81) | |||||
Selection Competition #2
() 15/01/2011 |
Bath, ENG | 1 | 972 (3 ) | 1368 (3) | 1168 (2) | 2016 (5) | |
21 /11 | (1 :59.39) | (12 :26.85) |
Mhairi Spence's Profile
Mhairi Spence's Results for Olympic Qualifying Period
Competition | Venue | Place |
Fence V/D |
Swim | Riding | CE | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
World Championships
07/05/2012 |
Rome, ITA | 1 | 952 (3) | 1160 (12 ) | 1200 (4) | 2172 (11) | 5484 |
23 /12 | (2 :16.84) | (11 :47.90) | |||||
World Cup 3
12/04/2012 |
Szazhalombatta, HUN | 8 | 880 (10) | 1204 (10 ) | 1180 (8) | 2024 (20) | 5288 |
19 /16 | (2 :13.22) | (12 :24.35) | |||||
World Cup 2
15/03/2012 |
Rio de Janeiro, BRA | 25 | 760 (25) | 1148 (13 ) | 1160 (18) | 2024 (26) | 5092 |
14 /20 | (2 :17.82) | (12 :24.90) | |||||
World Cup 1
08/03/2012 |
Charlotte, USA | 2 | 1000 (2) | 1176 (6 ) | 1160 (12) | 2120 (17) | 5456 |
25 /10 | (2 :15.65) | (12 :0.67) | |||||
National Selection Competition #3
() 21/01/2012 |
Bath, ENG | 2 | 1040 (1) | 1128 (10 ) | 1200 (5) | 1824 (4) | |
33 /11 | (2 :19.60) | (13 :14.57) | |||||
National Selection Competition #1
() 03/12/2011 |
Bath, ENG | 1 | 1160 (1) | 1128 (8 ) | 1192 (2) | 1908 (5) | |
25 /4 | (2 :19.55) | (12 :53.10) | |||||
World Championships
08/09/2011 |
Moscow, RUS | 8 | 928 (4) | 1172 (8 ) | 1140 (23) | 2104 (29) | 5344 |
22 /13 | (2 :15.71) | (12 :4.00) | |||||
European Championships
28/07/2011 |
Medway, ENG | 33 | 760 (23) | 1220 (6 ) | 912 (33) | 1920 (32) | 4812 |
15 /20 | (2 :11.92) | (12 :50.49) | |||||
World Cup Final
09/07/2011 |
London, ENG | 5 | 976 (4) | 1188 (8 ) | 1112 (26) | 1952 (12) | 5228 |
23 /12 | (2 :14.56) | (12 :42.05) | |||||
Selection Competition #2
() 15/01/2011 |
Bath, ENG | 1 | 1096 (1) | 1120 (5 ) | 1184 (2) | 1856 (2) | |
40 /8 | (2 :20.04) | (13 :6.70) |
Samantha Murray's Profile
Samantha Murray's Results for Olympic Qualifying Period
Competition | Venue | Place |
Fence V/D |
Swim | Riding | CE | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
World Championships
07/05/2012 |
Rome, ITA | 3 | 832 (14) | 1264 (2 ) | 1160 (14) | 2196 (8) | 5452 |
18 /17 | (2 :8.04) | (11 :41.00) | |||||
World Cup 4
19/04/2012 |
Rostov, RUS | 3 | 832 (12) | 1244 (2 ) | 1160 (9) | 2108 (10) | 5344 |
18 /17 | (2 :9.73) | (12 :3.05) | |||||
World Cup 3
12/04/2012 |
Szazhalombatta, HUN | 4 | 736 (27) | 1280 (3 ) | 1060 (27) | 2276 (1) | 5352 |
13 /22 | (2 :6.82) | (11 :21.05) | |||||
World Cup 1
08/03/2012 |
Charlotte, USA | 6 | 712 (31) | 1236 (2 ) | 1180 (7) | 2224 (5) | 5352 |
13 /22 | (2 :10.50) | (11 :34.10) | |||||
National Selection Competition #3
() 21/01/2012 |
Bath, ENG | 1 | 940 (5) | 1252 (1 ) | 1180 (10) | 1896 (1) | |
28 /16 | (2 :9.06) | (12 :46.30) | |||||
National Selection Competition #2 & British Championships
() 17/12/2011 |
Bath, ENG | 3 | 968 (3) | 1228 (2 ) | 1180 (4) | 1648 (5) | |
18 /9 | (2 :11.25) | (13 :58.67) | |||||
National Selection Competition #1
() 03/12/2011 |
Bath, ENG | 2 | 968 (5) | 1240 (1 ) | 1144 (10) | 1892 (6) | |
19 /10 | (2 :10.04) | (12 :57.54) | |||||
Selection Competition #2
() 15/01/2011 |
Bath, ENG | 2 | 984 (4) | 1228 (1 ) | 1140 (8) | 1688 (5) | |
33 /15 | (2 :11.28) | (13 :48.11) |
Headlines
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Headline | Date Posted | Posted by | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Youth Olympic Games Live Schedule | Thursday, 21st Aug 2014 | Eleanor Guest | Athletes Henry Choong and Francesca Summers will be competing in Nanjing, China tomorrow at the Youth Olympic Games. You can watch them live at this link and the schedules (in UK time) are below! Friday 22nd
|
Samantha features on Pointless Celebrities | Thursday, 14th Feb 2013 | Steve Ballinger |
Olympic silver medal winning modern pentathlete Samantha Murray features on Saturday’s edition of the BBC quiz show Pointless Celebrities. Samantha teams up with rower Pete Reed for the quiz, which tests the depth of contestants’ general knowledge. The other teams are Martin Offiah and Phil Tufnell, Mark Bright and Martin Peter, and John Parrott and Hazel Irvine. The show, which is hosted by Alexander Armstrong, is on BBC One at 6pm on Saturday (16 February). Samantha won Britain’s last medal of the London 2012 Olympic Games when she took silver on the final day of the Games. She became the fifth British woman to win an Olympic modern pentathlon medal since the sport for women was added to the Olympic programme in 2000. |
Joy that Modern Pentathlon is set for 2020 Olympics | Tuesday, 12th Feb 2013 | Steve Ballinger |
Britain’s pentathletes have welcomed news that the sport of modern pentathlon has been named as a core sport for the 2020 Olympic Games. |
Assurance for the Future | Tuesday, 12th Feb 2013 | Alexia Jones | Assurance for the future The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today agreed on the 25 sports it will propose to the 125th IOC Session for approval as the core sports for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The 25 sports include modern pentathlon.
(The EB recommended that wrestling, governed by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA), not be included on the list of core sports. Wrestling will now join the seven shortlisted sports – baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu – vying for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic programme as an additional sport.)
Though the matter has to be approved by the IOC session from 7 to 10 September in Buenos Aires, Argentina this is great news for our sport, for us at Pentathlon GB and for our future. Great news!
Tony Temple – for the Board |
Mhairi Spence - Life after London 2012 | Friday, 25th Jan 2013 | Alexia Jones | Olympic Pentathlete Mhairi Spence reveals the heartache she suffered post London 2012, and how a once in a lifetime trip to Australia got her back into trainig and fighting fit. |
Samantha photo voted the pick of 2012 | Tuesday, 8th Jan 2013 | Steve Ballinger |
A stunning photograph of Britain’s Samantha Murray taking part in the London 2012 Olympic fencing competition has been voted modern pentathlon photo of the year for 2012. |
Samantha is named Olympic Athlete of the Year | Thursday, 13th Dec 2012 | Steve Ballinger |
Olympic silver medallist Samantha Murray was named winner of the British Modern Pentathlon Olympic Athlete of the Year Award.
For some photos from the evening, please visit the Pentathlon GB Facebook site. |
2013 UIPM Desktop Calendar for Sale | Friday, 7th Dec 2012 | Alexia Jones |
The 2013 UIPM MODERN PENTATHLON desktop calendar is now for sale! The calendar includes all the best photos from the historic 2012 London Olympic Games of all your favourite Pentathletes, a Pentathlon fact once a month and the dates of all the 2013 Modern Pentathlon competitions. Don't miss out on this opportunity for this calendar for yourself or for family & friends for Christmas. Order through the UIPM website by clicking below. |
Silver Samantha to be guest of honour at civic reception | Wednesday, 22nd Aug 2012 | Steve Ballinger |
Olympic silver medal winning modern pentathlete Samantha Murray will be one of the guests of honour at a civic reception in her home town of Clitheroe in Lancashire on Saturday (25 August), |
Olympic medallist Murray up to third in world rankings | Tuesday, 21st Aug 2012 | Steve Ballinger |
Britain’s Samantha Murray has climbed to number three in the modern pentathlon world rankings following her silver medal winning performance at the Olympic Games just over a week ago. |
Olympic Venues for Modern Pentathlon
Modern Pentathlon is one of the most complex competitions to be organised at The Games. 5 sports at 3 venues completed across both sides of the River Thames, all in one day.
The first two events are undertaken at new venues on Olympic Park. The riding, running and shooting will take place in a temporary venue at Greenwich Park, one of the most iconic venues of the Games.
- The Copper Box
- Aquatics Centre
- Greenwich Park
The Copper Box gets its name from the top half of the venue which is clad in 3,000 square metres of external copper cladding - mostly recycled - to give it a unique appearance that will develop a rich natural colour as it ages.
The venue was designed and built with sustainability as a priority. Among its many innovative features, the roof of the Copper Box is fitted with 88 light pipes that allow natural light into the venue, reducing the demand for electric lights. This will achieve annual energy savings of up to 40%.
The glazed concourse level that encircles the building will allow visitors after the Games to see the sport taking place inside and illuminating the venue when lit at night.
After the Games the Copper Box will be managed by GLL, which operates many other sporting venues in and around London, when it will be used for a wide range of sports and events.
For more information about the venue, take a virtual tour, find out how to get there and more, see the London 2012 website.
The Aquatics Centre was designed by internationally acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid and is quite breathtaking in appearance. It is one of the permanent venues specially constructed for London 2012.
It forms part of the gateway to the Olympic Park - more than two-thirds of spectators will enter the Park at the south-east corner via a bridge that forms part of the venue's roof.
The venue features a 50m competition pool, a 25m competition diving pool, a 50m warm-up pool and a 'dry' warm-up area for divers. It will have a Games time capacity of 17,500 although significantly fewer tickets will be sold for the Modern Pentathlon.
After the Games the two 'wings' will be removed and the building is set to become one of the iconic buildings of the Olympic Park in legacy, when it will be managed by GLL, the same company which operates Crystal Palace and many other sporting venues in and around London.
For more information about the venue, watch it being built, find out how to get there and more, see the London 2012 website.
Greenwich Park is London's oldest Royal Park, dating back to 1433, and is part of the Greenwich World Heritage site and home to the Prime Meridian Line. Covering approximately 183 acres and located just 20 minutes from central London, the park offers sweeping views across the River Thames to St Paul's Cathedral and beyond.
It is a truly magical venue and will be where the last Gold medal of the Games, the women' Modern Pentathlon, will be awarded, shortly before the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Games.
A 23,000 seat temporary stadium is being built in front of the Queen's House using a raised platform for the riding arena. The shooting range will be built in the arena after the equestrian events have finished and the running course will be partly in the arena and partly in the park.
This promises to be a memorable event for spectator and athlete alike.
For more information about the venue, find out how to get there and more, see the London 2012 website.
The 5 disciplines of Modern Pentathlon
Modern Pentathlon comprises five disparate disciplines; fencing, swimming, riding, shooting and running. The sport was introduced at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics by the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, and embraced the spirit of the Pentathlon of the ancient Greek Games, where the five sports were running, jumping, javelin, discus and wrestling.
In the 100 years since the event was introduced it has undergone many changes of format, the most recent of which was in 2009 when the shooting and running were put together into a 'Combined Event'. This was followed in 2011 with lasers replacing lead pellets as the 'projectile'.
- Fencing
- Swimming
- Riding
- Combined Event
Basics:
Athletes fence all other competitors once using electric epees. Bouts are fenced for one hit and last a maximum of one minute. Double hits do not count. If neither fencer has scored a hit within the time limit, both athletes score a defeat.
Format:
- Pentathletes rotate around the fencing salle in pairs;
- Athletes fence their team partner first and then fence all other competitors once using electric epees.
- Bouts are fenced for one hit and last a maximum of one minute.
- They must stay within the boundary of their fencing piste at all times during a bout.
- To win a bout, fencers must make contact with any part of their opponent’s body with the tip of the epee.
- A buzzer will sound when a hit has been made and a light on the scoreboard for that piste indicates who has won.
- Double hits do not count, the system is re-set and the bout continues for the remainder of the minute.
- If neither fencer has scored a hit within the time limit, both athletes will record a defeat.
Scoring:
25 bouts won corresponds to 1000 pentathlon points with each victory or defeat worth 24 pentathlon points.
Olympic Venue: The Copper Box
Format:
A 200m freestyle swim, where the athletes are seeded in heats according their personal best times. At the Olympics there will be 4 heats with each heat completing 4 lengths of the pool. It is the quickest element of the event, with each heat lasting only about 2 minutes.
Scoring:
The times that the swimmers achieve are translated into pentathlon points. A time of 2minutes 30seconds equates to 1000 pentathlon points. Every third of a second above or below this time equals plus or minus four pentathlon points.
Olympic Venue: Aquatics Centre
Format:
- In Modern Pentathlon, the athletes ride unfamiliar horses brought in by the organisers for the event.
- The leading athlete after the previous disciplines draws their horse by lot. On the basis of this draw, the other horses (which have been previously numbered) are allocated to the other competitors.
- The athletes have just 20 minutes in the warm-up arena to get to know their horse and take them over five practice jumps before coming out to compete.
- The ride course features a series of 12 show-jumping obstacles which include a double and a treble at a height of 1m 20cm.
- The athlete must complete the course within the optimum time to avoid time penalties.
- Each horse is ridden by two pentathletes during the competition.
Scoring:
Competitors start with a base score of 1,200 pentathlon points. Points are then deducted for faults as follows:
- 20 points for each fence knocked down ;
- 40 points for a refusal;
- 60 points for falling off or for knocking down a fence during a refusal;
- 4 points for every second over the optimum time for the course.
- Riders are eliminated if they fall twice or take longer than twice the optimum time set for the course;
Olympic Venue: Greenwich Park
Format:
- The climax of the competition where athletes run a total distance of 3000m and shoot at 15 targets.
- The combined event begins with a handicapped start, calculated on the basis of the results after the previous events, with each 4 points being worth one second of handicap.
- The athlete with the most pentathlon points after the swim, fence and ride starts first.
- Once given their start signal, the athletes run to the range where they aim to hit five targets.
- Athletes use precision laser pistols to shoot at electronic targets. Lights are illuminated green each time they score a hit.
- Only after having hit 5 targets with an unlimited number of shots OR after a time of 1 minute 10 seconds elapses can the competitor leave the firing point to perform each running leg of 1000m.
- This is repeated twice more before the athletes cross the finish line at the end of the third 1000m circuit.
Scoring:
Because of the handicapped start, the winner of the competition is simply the first person to cross the finish line.
The athletes are awarded 2,000 pentathlon points based on an optimum time of 12 minutes 30 seconds with each second worth 4 points.
Olympic Venue: Greenwich Park
The Competition Schedule
Please note these schedules are subject to change. Please check the London 2012 website for up to date information.
BBC have indicated that every event will be covered in full by using red button channels. We will publish broadcast information when it becomes available.
- Men
11th August - Women
12th August
![Wenlock in Modern Pentathlon mode](/web/20141022050258im_/http://www.pentathlongb.org/images/features/Wenlock-Pentathlon.jpg)
Discpline | Venue | Start Time | Finish Time |
---|---|---|---|
Fencing | The Copper Box | 08:45 | 11:45 |
Swimming | Aquatics Centre | 13:20 | 13:50 |
Riding | Greenwich Park | 14:20 | 17:50 |
Combined Event | Greenwich Park | 18:45 | 19:10 |
Medal Ceremony | Greenwich Park | 19:30 | 19:45 |
![Modern Pentathlon Stamp for London 2012](/web/20141022050258im_/http://www.pentathlongb.org/images/features/London2012_MP_Stamp.png)
Discpline | Venue | Start Time | Finish Time |
---|---|---|---|
Fencing | The Copper Box | 08:00 | 11:00 |
Swimming | Aquatics Centre | 12:35 | 13:05 |
Riding | Greenwich Park | 14:35 | 17:10 |
Combined Event | Greenwich Park | 18:00 | 18:25 |
Medal Ceremony | Greenwich Park | 18:40 | 18:55 |
The women's event starts slightly earlier than the men's because it needs to be completed before the Closing Ceremony begins.
Useful links
- In the Media
- Planning your Games
BBC 2012 Modern Pentathlon |
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BBC Modern Pentathlon Olympic website. Ollie Williams is a regular contributor. | @BBCSport @BBC_Ollie |
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The Telegraph on Modern Pentathlon |
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Daily Telegraph focus on Modern Pentathlon | @Telegraph2012 |
The Guardian Sport |
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Britain's Mhairi Spence exemplifies the modern era | @guardian_sport |
BBC 2012 |
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Woodbridge & Weale achieve qualifying standard | @BBCSport |
How to get involved
![](/web/20141022050258im_/http://www.pentathlongb.org/images/features/PentGB-CP-2011-3303.jpg)
Getting started in Modern Pentathlon can seem a bit daunting. After all, I have got to be able to compete at five events to be able to take part, right?
Absolutely not!!
The Modern Pentathlon Association arranges events for just two disciplines, run and swim (Biathlon and Biathle) through to competitions involving all five disciplines which make up the Modern Pentathlon.
In addition, Pentathlon GB runs a series of biathlon (run, swim) competitions especially for schools each year, leading to a British Championships. In fact, now is a great time to start planning your involvement in the 2012-13 series. All the information you could want is on the Schools section of our website. If this doesn't answer you queries then call the office on 01225 386808 or email us at schools@pentathlongb.org.
Biathle is a continuous run-swim-run discpline at which GBR excels. Training and competitions take place all over the country and we have a section on the website which is devoted to Biathle.
Each of these sections of the website have their own calendars where you can find details of competitions and training days. In addition some clubs have their own training regular training nights.
University students have the opportunity to get involved at Biathlon or Pentathlon through the annual BUCS competitions which take place in March each year. Their website will provide you with more information.
If you live in the Midlands, the following may be of interest to you.
Coventry
Regular Tuesday Club at Bablake School in Coventry, from 4-6pm. We have places for children aged 9-11 and 12-14. Each week you will run for an hour and swim for an hour with professional, CRB checked coaches. The sessions are £3.50 for the 2 hours. Interested? Contact: peter.evans@pentathlongb.org to book a place.
Wombourne, Nr. Wolverhampton
Regular Thursday Club at Ounsdale School in Wombourne, near Wolverhampton, from 3-4:30pm. We have places for children aged 9-11 and 12-14. Each week you will run for 45 minutes and swim for 45 minutes with professional, CRB checked coaches. The sessions are £2.00 for the 1 hour 30 mins. If you are interested, contact: peter.evans@pentathlongb.org to book a place.
Want to find out a bit more about Modern Pentathlon? Check out these 28 facts which you may not know about our sport.
![UIPM Centenary Logo](/web/20141022050258im_/http://www.pentathlongb.org/images/features/UIPM_Centenary_logo.gif)
Sheila Taormina (USA) who competed in the 2008 Olympic Modern Pentathlon event, represented the USA in three different sports over four Olympic outings. She won a gold medal in the swimming relay in 1996. She then represented the USA in Triathlon in 2000 and 2004.
Her entry in the Modern Pentathlon in Beijing broke two records �as well as her multiple sports achievement, she was also, at 39, the oldest woman competitor ever in Olympic Modern Pentathlon.
Only two British pentathletes have competed in four Olympic Games each �Jim Fox (1964, 1968, 1972, 1976) and Richard Phelps (1984, 1988, 1992, 1996).
When the Modern Pentathlon was first introduced it took place over 5 days.
Since Atlanta in 1996 the competition has been completed in a single day.
The two great Soviet Union competitors, Igor Novikov and Pavel Lednev each won the World Championship four times but neither ever achieved an individual Olympic gold medal.
No startlingly old pentathletes have won the Olympic event. The oldest at 34 was Andras Balczo (HUN) who won in Munich in 1972. Wille Grut (SWE) was 33 when he won in London in 1948 and Johan Oxenstierna (SWE) was 32 when he won in Los Angeles in 1932. All the other winners have been in their twenties.
The oldest woman to win was Steph Cook (GBR) in Sydney in 2000 at the ripe old age of 28! The average age of all 22 male champions is 26.73 years and of the 3 female champions, 25.6 years.
In 1932 in Los Angeles, Johan Oxenstierna (SWE), the eventual winner, was arrested by the local police for practising shooting in the local woods before the shooting event. He persuaded the policeman to come to the competition range and, once there, managed to convince him that he was shooting for good reasons.
The pentathlete with the most Olympic medals is Pavel Lednev of the USSR. Between 1968 and 1980 he won seven medals, one silver and three bronze medals in the individual event and two gold and a silver in the team event.
Until the 1996 Olympics, the Modern Pentathlon had always been the first Olympic event to take place in the programme. From the advent of the One Day Event in 1996, it has changed to being the final Olympic event.
Only four women have competed in every Olympic event so far (2000, 2004, 2008) They are Paulina Boenisz (POL), Tatiana Muratova (RUS), Zsuzsa V�r�s (HUN) and Elena Rublevska (LAT).
Rublevska is hoping to participate in her fourth Olympics in London 2012.
Key Dates
- UIPM Olympic final ranking list announced 1st June
- BOA announces the Modern Pentathlon team for the Games on 8th June
- Athletes and teams arrive from 16 July 2012
- Sport Information Centre and Village operational from 16 July - 15 August 2012
- Modern Pentathlon Training venues open from 27 July 2012 - 12 August 2012
- Olympic Games Opening Ceremony 27 July 2012
- Olympic Games Closing ceremony 12 August 2012
Only two pentathletes have ever won the Olympic title twice. Lars Hall (SWE) won in 1952 and 1956 and Andrei Moiseev (RUS) won in 2004 and 2008.
Moiseev is hoping to win an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic title in London in 2012.
Women did not compete in the Olympic Games until 2000. Steph Cook won Gold at those Games and Kate Allenby took the Bronze medal.
GBR have won 4 out a possible 6 medals at the Games since the sport was opened to them at Olympic level.
Only one pentathlete has competed in five Olympics. Peter Macken (AUS) took part in the 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976 Olympics.
People involved in the Games
A huge number of people are needed to make the Modern Pentathlon event work at the Olympic Games.
- 72 athletes (36 men and 36 women)
- 3 Technical Delegates (TDs)
- 25 International Technical Officials (ITOs)
- 65 National Technical Officials (NTOs)
- 150 + Games Maker Volunteers
- c. 26 LOCOG paid staff dedicated to Modern Pentathlon
- c. 7,000 LOCOG paid staff in total
- c. 23,000 spectators at Greenwich Park
The men's modern pentathlon competition at London 2012 will be the first time that laser pistols have been used at an Olympic Games.
London 2012 will also see the sport's new climax, the run/shoot (also known as the combined event) feature at an Olympic Games for the first time.
The women's modern pentathlon at the London 2012 Olympic Games will be the last be the last medals of the Games - providing a fitting climax to the sporting action at the biggest event on the global sports calendar.
The countries with the most Olympic medals are Sweden and Hungary who each have won 21 medals (including 9 gold). In third place is the Soviet Union with 15 medals. However, since the break-up of the Soviet empire, former members of that union have won a further 13 medals.
Latvian competitors will be making history at London 2012. Both Denis Cerkovskis and Elena Rublevska will be competing in their fourth consecutive Olympic Modern Pentathlon event.
The most comfortable Olympic victory was by Wille Grut (SWE) in 1948. In those days, points were given for your position in each event, the lowest scorer to complete all five events being the winner. Grut amassed a total of only 16, 31 placing points ahead of the silver medallist. He won three of the five events outright - riding, swimming and fencing.
Lasse Hall (SWE) won the first of his two individual gold medals in 1952 but he had some luck: his first horse went lame and he re-drew the best horse in the competition, picking the lucky ball from six in the bag. He also turned up late for his shooting event but a team protest had sufficiently delayed proceedings for him to be able to shoot.
Vaho Yagorashvili competed in Modern Pentathlon at three different Olympic Games representing three different countries � USSR (1988), Georgia (1996) and USA (2004).
The youngest ever competitor at the Olympics was Aya Medany (EGY) who was only 15 at the time of her debut in 2004. No flash in the pan, Aya remains one of the leading pentathlon women at the 2012 Games.
The youngest ever gold medallist was Anatoli Starostin (URS) who, at only 20 years old, won the 1980 Moscow title.
Sheila Taormina (USA), at 39, was the oldest female competitor at the Olympics. In 2008 in Beijing, she was competing in her fourth Olympics in her third sport. In 1996 she was a gold medallist in the swimming relay and in 2000 and 2004 she competed in Triathlon. In Beijing she won two events (swimming and riding) but won only 4 of her 35 bouts in the fencing.
Only Great Britain has been represented at all 22 Olympic outings so far. Just behind (on 21) are Sweden, France, Italy and USA.
The oldest competitor in Modern Pentathlon at the Games was Carl Paulsen (GER) who at 53 competed at Stockholm in 1912. However, since he dropped out after the opening shooting event, he didn�t have time to show his remarkable �evidence of elasticity at that age� mentioned in the local press of the time.
Modern Pentathlon was created especially for the Olympics. The sport was introduced at the 1912 Olympics by the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, and embraced the spirit of the Pentathlon of the ancient Greek Games, where the five sports were running, jumping, javelin, discus and wrestling.
At the inaugural competition, Sweden took gold, silver and bronze.
1912 is the only occasion when competitors have been allowed to ride their own horses in the riding event.
2012 will mark the centenary of the Modern Pentathlon being introduced into the Games by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the Modern Olympic Games.
In 1912 Sweden took gold, silver and bronze.
The sport embraces the spirit of the Pentathlon of the ancient Greek Games, where the five sports were running, jumping, javelin, discus and wrestling. The winner of the Pentathlon was considered to be the best all round sportsman and considered the 'victor ludorum'.