WHAT IS MODERN PENTATHLON?

Modern Pentathlon is a unique multi-discipline sport created by Modern Olympic Games founder, Baron Pierre de Coubertin that combines mental and physical challenge to find the most complete athlete. The father of Modern Pentathlon is His Excellency Pierre de Coubertin (Founder - International Olympic Committee established on 23rd June 1894) who invented this modern Olympics with variations in Ancient Pentathlon, with competition over five track and field events in order of Swimming, Fencing, and Equestrian, Shooting and Running. Modern Pentathlon included 1912 Olympic Games (Stockholm) and in 2012 Olympic Games (London) Modern Pentathlon successfully completed 100 Years

INTERNATIONAL MODERN PENTATHLON UNION (UIPM)

The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), founded in 1948, is the international governing body for modern pentathlon. Headquartered in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, it has 115 national federation members. UIPM also oversees sports like Laser Run, Tetrathlon, Biathle, Triathle, and World Schools Biathlon to promote global participation. UIPM is a member of the IOC, GAISF, FISU, and has a para-sports program under the International Paralympic Committee.

Modern Pentathlon Federation of India (MPFI) :-  

The Modern Pentathlon Federation of India (MPFI), founded in 2010 by Mr. Namdev Shirgonkar, governs Modern Pentathlon sports in India. MPFI has made significant progress, with achievements like India's first international medal at the 2012 World Biathle Championship and its membership in the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) that same year. In 2015, India won its first individual medal at the UIPM Biathle/Triathle World Championship. MPFI became part of School Games in 2016 and is now included in the National Games of India. Notably, MPFI athlete Anish Bhanwala won a Gold Medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in 25m Rapid Fire Pistol. MPFI continues to strive for Olympic success.

THE FIVE SPORTS

The Swimming event is a free-style event. Pentathletes may swim and change any stroke or style. At the turning and at the finish, the pentathlete must touch the end of the pool with some part of his body. The swimming event is a 200m freestyle race. The heats are seeded with the fastest swimmers competing in the final heat. A time of 2:30 is worth 250 pentathlon points and every third of a second faster or slower than this time is being worth a plus or minus score of one point. 

The Modern Pentathlon competition starts with the Epée Fencing. In the Ranking Round, each athlete fences against each of their rivals in bouts that last up to a minute. Just one hit is needed to win. If neither fencer has scored a hit after 60 seconds they both register a defeat. In Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games and World Cup Finals, the Fencing Ranking Round takes place the day before the Finals for both genders. The Fencing Bonus Round takes place in the Individual Finals and Relay events of all Category A competitions and is organised on a single piste in a one-onone format for bonus points.

The Obstacle event in modern pentathlon is a timed race where athletes navigate a series of challenges such as climbing walls, crawling through tunnels, and jumping hurdles. The course typically spans around 300 meters, with the goal of completing it as quickly as possible. Athletes are penalized if they fail to clear any obstacles or make mistakes during the course. Points are awarded based on the completion time, with a set baseline time representing the maximum score of 1000 points. Every second faster or slower than this baseline results in a point adjustment. Heats are seeded based on previous performances, with faster athletes competing in the final heat.

 For the climax of the competition, athletes run a total distance of 3,200m, stopping to shoot and hit the target five times from 10   meters distance before each 800m leg – this is repeated four times. Athletes can start running the next 800m leg once they have hit   the target five times. If they still have not hit the target five times after 50 seconds, so they are allowed to continue, but any hopes of   a medal will have gone. Before 2012 London Olympic the shooting and running were performed seperately, but from London   Olympic 2012 the both events combined together in form of Run-Shoot-Run called as laser run.

The shooting event of modern pentathlon, athletes use a laser pistol to take a series of shots at a target from a distance of 10 meters. The event consists of a series of rounds, with athletes shooting five times per round, and they must hit a target within a set time frame. Athletes alternate between running and shooting, with a combination of 5 shots taken after each 800-meter run segment. Precision, focus, and control under pressure are essential for scoring well. The shooting event is scored based on the number of successful hits on the target, with each shot worth a set number of points. Athletes’ final scores are determined by their shooting accuracy and the time taken to complete the event.