The Modern Pentathlon, the five-event sport created by Modern Olympics founder, Baron Pierre de Coubertin as a test of the perfect soldier’s skills, will combine the shooting and running segments of the sport in an effort to streamline the event and make it more enjoyable for spectators.
The Modern Pentathlon involves shooting, fencing, swimming, riding an unfamiliar horse around the jumping track, and running. In Beijing the event took place in three venues over a span of 12 hours, making it cumbersome for the media to cover and for spectators to follow. The new format, which will take effect January …read more

It was a crazy day at the Bird’s Nest on Thursday. Both the United States mens and womens 4×100m relay teams dropped their batons in the qualifying heats and were disqualified from the events. In addition, there were also a lot a positive things happening at the “Nest.” Here are the highlights:

Andrey Moiseev of Russia won the Gold Medal in the men’s modern pentathlon competition. That’s the five-event content, which includes epee fencing, pistol shooting, a 200m freestyle swim, show jumping, and a 3km cross-country run. The event was added to the Olympics in 1912. It is designed to …read more

Sheila Taormina, 39, from Livonia, Michigan is the first female athlete to qualify for three Olympic sports, but her choices have required her to perfect nine different sports activities. Amazing!
Taormina won Gold in 1996 as part of the women’s 4×200m freestyle relay. She then competed in the 2000 and 2004 Games as a tri-athlete (cycling, running, and open-water swimming), finishing sixth in 2000 and 23rd in 2004.
Taormina switched to the Modern Pentathlon in 2005 (shooting, fencing, pool-swimming, horse-riding, and cross-country running) and won the senior women’s division at the 2005 Pan American Championships.

For the uninitiated, modern pentathlon means shooting, fencing, swimming, riding and running – all the events completed in one day. “It’s weird that pentathlon is one of the oldest sports and yet so many people know so little about it,” Spence, based at Bath University, said. “It’s a shame it’s so misunderstood because we’re like the core of the Olympics. Sport has become very commercial, but there’s a place for tradition. Critics should come and see what it’s all about.”
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She’s only 21 but she dreams an Olympic dream. According to Spence, she’s not a natural 3,000 metres runner but is …read more

In the upcoming Summer Olympics, we can expect the following disciplines:

Aquatics
Archery
Athletics
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Boxing
Canoe / kayak
Cycling
Equestrian
Fencing
Football
Gymnastics
Handball
Hockey
Judo
Modern Pentathlon
Rowing
Sailing
Shooting
Softball
Table Tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Triathlon
Volleyball
Weightlifting
Wrestling