What's new at Paris 2024? The Modern Pentathlon competition format
Modern pentathlon made its debut on the Olympic program in Stockholm 1912, contesting an athlete's all-around abilities across five disciplines. Previously competed in one day, the new format will take just 90 minutes. Get to know more.
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, breaking will make its debut while other sports will feature revised formats and disciplines. To keep you up to date, Olympics.com is bringing you everything you need to know about what’s new at Paris 2024.
So, it's time to get to know the new modern pentathlon competition format, present since Stockholm 1912, in Sweden. After more than a century at the Games, the sport has gone through several format changes and the next update will debut in France.
Paris 2024 | The Modern Pentathlon Olympic qualification system explained
The previous formats of the modern pentathlon
Modern pentathlon aims to define the complete athlete with skills in five disciplines – fencing, swimming, showjumping, shooting and running.
Originally competed across four, five or even six days, by Atlanta 1996 the Olympic competition was contested in just one. At London 2012, the running was then combined with laser shooting in order to give more drama to the contest and engage the fans. This whole sequence of competitions used to take many hours.
The tally of points accumulated in fencing, riding and swimming rank the athletes to decide starting positions for the last event – the laser run – with the top-ranked athlete setting off first. Consequently, the first to cross the finish line wins the gold medal.
For Paris 2024, the semifinal and final will be condensed into 90 minutes, in a reorganised order of disciplines, in front of fans in a single venue. But how?
Olympics.com presents the new modern pentathlon format for the upcoming Olympic Games.
The new format for Modern Pentathlon at Paris 2024
At Paris 2024, 72 athletes – 36 men, 36 women – will take part in modern pentathlon. Eighteen finalists in each gender will emerge from the semifinals, which, along with the final, will be contested in a 90-minute format.
The modern pentathlon in Paris 2024 will be held between 8-11 August with the fencing ranking round taking place at the North Paris Arena on the first day.
The semifinals and finals will be hosted from days two to four, at the iconic Palace of Versailles, a venue that will accommodate all five disciplines of the sport within a defined spectator-friendly arena. Fans and broadcasters will now be able to follow all the action in one place within a shorter time period. Previously events were organised at different venues.
The order of the disciplines will also be new in the French capital and includes short rest intervals:
- 35 minutes of equestrian (jumping)
- 5 minutes break
- 20 minutes of fencing (épee) - bonus round
- 10 minutes break
- 15 minutes of swimming (200m freestyle)
- 15 minutes break
- 20 minutes combined event (laser run)
Athletes accumulate points in each event according to their performance. In the last event, laser run, athletes will start with a handicap time based on the conversion of the total points from the first three (3) events into time (1 point = 1 second). The first starts at time “0”, the next one at time 0 plus the number of seconds difference. The first athlete to cross the finish line in the laser run wins the gold medal.
The ranking round for male and female fencing, which defines the starting order of the athletes in the fencing bonus round, takes place on Thursday 8 August.
The men's semifinals take place the following day (Friday 9 August), with the women's semifinals the morning and afternoon of Saturday 10 August.
The men's final takes place between late afternoon and evening on the Saturday, while the women's decider concludes the competition on Sunday (11 August).
What do the athletes think?
Three-time Olympian and silver medallist at Rio 2016, Élodie Clouvel (FRA) spoke to Olympics.com about what she thinks about the changes in modern pentathlon for Paris 2024:
"In the beginning, of course, it was a little difficult because the fact of doing one test after another is physically difficult. We are leaving swimming, we are going to continue with the combined event, so you have to work on the arm for the throw, which is tired because of swimming. Before, we had time to recover.
"All these small adjustments we had to make in training as well. We have had very specific training, precisely for the sequences and in the end we got used to it. The [World Cup 2023 stages allowed] us to prepare well for the things to be highly efficient at the end of the season."
Clouvel’s compatriot, partner and six-time world champion, Valentin Belaud commented to the website of the International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM): "I have been a top-level athlete for about 15 years and I have seen the evolution in modern pentathlon. The first quality of a pentathlete is to be adaptable. That's what we've been doing for many years. This new version is, in my opinion, a great way to make pentathlon grow... today I'm 28 years old and this new version scares me too! Not for our sport that I love, but for my willingness to adapt. I need to overcome this fear and work to progress, continuously."
Brazilian bronze medallist in London 2012, Yane Marques stated: "It was a requirement and you have to adapt, even though I too have already experienced a transition. Before, it started with shooting and then they created the combined event. When I started it was lead shooting and then laser. It is a big change, yes, but the athletes who are looking for a place in Paris 2024 are already competing in this format. They will already be adapted."
Objectives: Facilitate understanding and increase popularity
The changes in the format of modern pentathlon aim to increase the sport's popularity, by making it more dynamic, with a continuous flow – without long breaks – and easier to understand. Organised in just one venue over a shorter time period, the hope is that fans will feel closer to the action and broadcasting is optimised.
"Our new Modern Pentathlon format is strongly aligned with these two principles: it will dramatically improve the experience for fans and viewers, while maintaining the essence of the sport," said UIPM president, Klaus Schormann (GER) on the organisation’s website.
Athletes to watch in Modern Pentathlon at Paris 2024
Great Britain is particularly competitive in modern pentathlon winning gold in both the men's and women's editions at Tokyo 2020 courtesy of Joseph Choong and Kate French. Choong is also the 2022 world champion, and both may well attempt to retain their titles at Paris 2024.
Two-time Olympic medallist Laura Asadauskaite – gold at London 2012 and silver in Japan – flies the flag for Lithuania while Hungary's 2022 world silver medallist Michelle Gulyas is also one to watch.
Elena Micheli of Italy, the first modern pentathlete in the women's event to have qualified for Paris, courtesy of a win at the 2023 Modern Pentathlon World Cup Final in Ankara, Turkiye in June, will be hoping to add the Olympic title to her 2022 world championship gold. Turkiye's İlke Özyüksel, will be heartened after winning world bronze at the Egypt-hosted 2022 worlds and no doubt working toward an Olympic podium spot.
The home nation's Elodie Clouvel could be in the mix to upgrade her Rio 2016 silver to gold with Belaud no doubt hoping the couple can win a pair of medals to make them the darlings of host nation, France.
The Egyptian men have had an excellent 2023 World Cup season with victory in Ankara for Mohanad Shaban, who also secured his place in France, and bronze for Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Ahmed Elgendy. Shaban took second place weeks later in Budapest (Hungary) and Eslam Hamad reached the top of the podium at the Sofia (Bulgaria) edition. Hungary's 2022 world bronze medallist Balazs Szep could also be one to watch.
How to qualify for modern pentathlon at Paris 2024?
Valid for both the women's and men's competitions, the system will distribute 33 quota places across different competitions, one place for the host country and two through the principle of Universality, making a total of 36.
The 36 quota places are distributed as follows:
- 33 through the ranking events: the final stage of the 2023 UIPM (Modern Pentathlon International Union) World Cup, which gives a quota place; the continental championships distribute 20 places; three quota places for the 2023 World Championships; three vacancies for the 2024 World Championships and six more vacancies through the Olympic ranking, for pentathletes who have not yet qualified.
- 2 through the principle of Universality.
- 1 for the host country.
Schedule of Modern Pentathlon at Paris 2024
Paris local time (CET)
8 August (Thursday)
From: 11:00
- Fencing ranking round (women)
- Fencing ranking round (men)
9 August (Friday)
From: 13:00
- Men's semi-finals
10 August (Saturday)
From: 09:30
- Women's semi-finals
From: 17:30
- Men's final
11 August (Sunday)
From: 11:00
- Women's final