2013 MEDIA GUIDE Table of Contents History of Modern Pentathlon ................................................. 2 Modern Pentathlon Competitions ............................................ 3 The Five Events ................................................................... 5 2013 Rule Changes .............................................................. 8 2013 Major Competitions ...................................................... 9 Modern Pentathlon & Biathle Calendar ..................................... 10 World Championship Facts ..................................................... 12 Athlete Profiles - Women ....................................................... 14 Athlete Profiles - Men ........................................................... 26 2013 Mixed Relay World Cup Series ........................................ 38 Laser Shooting .................................................................... 41 Past Olympic Champions ....................................................... 42 Past World Champions .......................................................... 44 London 2012 Olympic Games Results ...................................... 46 2012 Senior World Championships - Individual ......................... 48 2012 Junior World Championships .......................................... 50 2012 Youth World Championships ........................................... 52 2012 Senior World Championships - Relay ............................... 54 2012 World Records ............................................................. 55 Current World Rankings ........................................................ 56 Contact Information ............................................................. 62 1 HISTORY OF MODERN PENTATHLON MODERN PENTATHLON COMPETITIONS The Greek Olympic Games Pentathlon Olympic Games The Pentathlon: consisting of running the length of the stadium, Long jump, From 1912 to 1980 the Olympic Modern Pentathlon competition was throwing a spear, throwing a discus and wrestling, was introduced for the held over five days with one event per day. Between 1984 and 1992, the first time at the 18th Olympiad in 708 BC and held a position of unique competition was held over four days. For the Atlanta Olympic Games in importance in the Games. It was considered to be the climax, with the 1996, the competition was a one-day event. In 1998, the UIPM received winner ranked as "Victor Ludorum". Admiration for the Ancient Pentathlon approval for women to compete in the Sydney 2000 Olympics. At Sydney all was fully shared by the founder of the Modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Pentathlon venues were 96% sold out. In Athens and Beijing Pentathlon was Coubertin and from 1909 he tried to have the event re-introduced into the 100% sold out and in London tickets sold out within a day. Olympic programme. World Championships The Modern Pentathlon World Championships take place annually: Modern Pentathlon was introduced at the 5th Olympiad in For Senior men from 1949 Stockholm 1912 and marked its 100 year anniversary in London 2012. In For Senior women from 1981 Stockholm it comprised the contemporary sports of pistol shooting, fencing, swimming, horse riding and running. It was Pierre De Coubertin’s belief that For Junior men from 1965 it would be this event, above all others, that "tested a man’s moral qualities For Junior women from 1989 as much as his physical resources and skills, producing thereby the ideal, For Youth A (17-18 years), complete athlete.” Men & Women from 1994 World Championship include: individual, team, team relay and mixed relay events. Youth World Championships differ slightly in that they do not include riding. In 2013, the way the 36 athletes qualify for the final will be different: • 2 groups - the top 12 from each group + 12 with the highest score of all groups • 3 groups - the top 8 from each group + 12 with the highest score of all groups • 4 groups - the top 6 from each group + 12 with the highest score of all groups The athletes then compete in the Final, one day later, which is therefore comprised of the best 36 competitors from these qualifiers. Individual medals are awarded as well as team medals which are decided by adding the three individual team member’s scores together. For the relay event this consists of 16 teams of three athletes competing in a continuous relay completed in one day. Each team member swims 100m, fences one opposing team member, rides a horse over 9 x show jumps and completes the competition with the combined event that consists of 2 series of shooting UIPM President and 2 x 800m running. Pierre De Coubertin Dr h.c. Klaus Schormann 2 3 MODERN PENTATHLON COMPETITIONS THE FIVE EVENTS World Cup Series The sport was invented as the ultimate physical and mental test of an A World Cup Series for both Men and Women has been organised since Olympic athlete by the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre 1990. Each year between 4 and 6 World Cup competitions and a World Cup de Coubertin, in 1909 and held for the first time in the Olympic Games in Final are organised and the whole package is called the World Cup Series. 1912. While the sports disciplines chosen 100 years ago remain, the rules 36 athletes compete in the World Cup Final. have evolved to make Modern Pentathlon even more challenging for the Mixed Relay World Cup Series athletes and even more exciting for spectators. 2013 will see the first Mixed Relay World Cup Series. In each World Cup, there All five events now take place over a single day, instead of the initial five will be 16 pairs and the best 8 pairs will advance to the World Cup Final. days, and the shooting and running disciplines have been combined to create a thrilling climax to the event. Points awarded to athletes in the first three Biathle events are converted into a time handicap for the final combined event, with Designed as a ‘Sport for All’, Biathle has been practised for over 50 years. every four points giving a one second advantage. Through Biathle the UIPM has established a competition comprised of the So if you’re new to the sport, just remember that the first athlete to cross two fundamental components of Modern Pentathlon and most practised the finish line in the final combined event wins the Gold medal. sports in the world – run and swim. The competition format is as follows: The Biathle competition begins with a pack start of runners who complete one-half of the total running distance before entering a 50 meter transition area. Athletes then dive into the water and swim the required swimming distance before exiting the water, putting on their shoes and running the second leg of the run to the finish line. The first athlete to cross the finish Fencing line wins. The Modern Pentathlon starts with School Biathle the fencing. Each athlete fences In 2005 UIPM launched a new competition linked to the success of Biathle. against all his or her rivals with an The event consists of the swimming and running disciplines. The swimming electric epée in bouts that last up to a minute. Just one hit is needed to discipline is conducted in a 25m or 50m pool and the running discipline is win each contest. If neither fencer conducted on any flat surface. The swimming discipline is conducted first has scored a hit after 60 seconds and the running discipline is mass start. The Final result is the sum of the then both register a defeat so the swimming and running points. action can get pretty frenetic in the The originality of the ‘World School final seconds. Biathle’ is that schools will take part An athlete who wins 25 of their to this international competition by 35 bouts will get 1,000 pentathlon entering their results in a global points, with each victory or defeat database using the UIPM website (www. above or below this number worth pentathlon.org) directly from their a plus or minus score of 24 points. That makes every fencing victory location. Therefore this competition worth a six-second head start in the does not require any funding for final combined event. transportation or lodging. All can be made ‘at home’ by the registered physical education teacher or coach. 4 5 Swimming Combined event: running and shooting Next, the athletes head to the pool For the climax of the competition, athletes for the second event - 200m freestyle run a total distance of 3,200m, stopping to swim. The races are seeded, with the shoot and hit the target five times from 10 fastest swimmers competing in the metres distance before each 800m leg; this final heat. is repeated four times. Athletes can start A time of 2:30 is worth 1,000 running the next 800m leg once they’ve hit pentathlon points; every third of the target five times. If they still haven’t hit a second faster or slower than this five the target five times after 50 seconds time will be worth a plus or minus they are allowed to continue, but any hopes score of four points. So a one-second of a medal will have gone. At London 2012, advantage over a rival in the pool laser guns were used instead of pellet pistols would give a competitor a three- for the first time in an Olympic Games. second head start in the combined The competitor who’s amassed the most event. points in the first three events starts the combined event first, with the rest of the field facing a one second handicap for every four pentathlon points by which they trail the leader. Riding This ensures that the first person to cross In the riding event, the athletes have to the finish line wins the Gold medal. complete a show jumping