MODERN PENTATHLON
In ancient times pentathlon involved running, jumping, spear-throwing, discus and wrestling.
Modern pentathlon was introduced to the Summer Olympic programme in Stockholm in 1912 and comprises (one-touch épée), freestyle swimming (200 m), equestrian show jumping (15 jumps), and a final combined event of pistol shooting and cross country running (3200 m). This final event is now referred to as the laser-run, since it alternates four legs of laser pistol shooting followed by an 800 m run (for 3200 m in total).
Despite being continuously on the Olympic programme since 1912, an event for women was only added at the 2000 Games in Sydney. The competitions currently include men and women’s individual and team event together with relay events for men and women and a mixed relay event.
Since the 1996 Games in Atlanta, the format has involved athletes competing in the five events on the same day (prior to this the format was one event per day over five days). Athletes score points in the first three events which decide their starting position for the final combined event which comprises shooting and running. The athletes compete on borrowed horses and shooting is done with laser pistols. These were introduced at the 2012 Games in London and replaced traditional pellet-firing air guns.
Three Irish athletes competed in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow and two athletes competed in both the 2012 and 2016 Games in London and Rio respectively.
National Federation: Pentathlon Ireland
International Federation: Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne
MODERN PENTATHLON NEWS
Events Coming up in June 2026
Hockey IRL Men - FIH Hockey Nations Cup - South Africa - June 11 to 20 IRL Women - FIH Hockey Pro League Netherlands Stage - Rotterdam - June 13 to 18 IRL Women - FIH Hockey Pro League Germany Stage - Berlin - June 23 to 27 Swimming Sette Colli International, Rome, Italy, 26-28 [...]
Events coming up in May 2026
Athletics 2-3 May: World Athletics Relays, Gaborone, Botswana Boxing 3-10 May: Feliks Stamm Tournament, Warsaw, Poland Canoeing 29-31 May: Canoe Slalom World Cup 1, Ljubljana, Slovenia Cycling 1-3 May: Downhill & Cross-country Olympic World Series round 1, South Korea 22-24 May: Rás Tailteann, Ireland 22-24 May: Cross Country World Series, Czech Republic [...]
Istanbul 2027 European Games
A Key Step on the Road to LA28 The 4th European Games will take place in Istanbul, Turkey from 16 to 27 June 2027, one year out from the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. For Team Ireland, Istanbul represents a significant moment in the LA28 cycle: a major competitive platform, a qualification opportunity across multiple [...]
IOC EB puts forward LA28’s additional sports proposal to the IOC Session
Baseball/softball, cricket (T20), flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash are the five sports submitted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Executive Board (EB) to the upcoming IOC Session as additional sports for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28). These additional sports were proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee, for its edition of the Games only, […]
SELECTED ATHLETES
Sackville Currie
BIOGRAPHY Sackville Currie competed in the men's modern pentathlon at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games as part of Ireland's first-ever Olympic modern pentathlon team, suffering an early disaster in the riding phase when a moment of distraction caused him to jump a practice fence from the wrong direction - earning a 200-point penalty that relegated [...]
Mark Hartigan
BIOGRAPHY Marcus 'Mark' Hartigan competed in the men's modern pentathlon at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games as part of Ireland's first-ever Olympic modern pentathlon team. From Banktown, Baltray, Co. Louth, and educated at Glenstal Abbey School in Co. Limerick alongside his brother Jerome, Mark was deeply affected by nerves in the riding phase - the [...]
Jerome Hartigan
BIOGRAPHY Jerome Hartigan competed in the men's modern pentathlon at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, finishing in the top 40 of a 43-man field overall - the best-placed of the three Irish competitors. He was the best Irish performer in the shooting phase, scoring a notable 191 shots from 200 (934 points), and led the [...]
Arthur Lanigan-O’Keeffe
BIOGRAPHY Arthur Lanigan-O'Keeffe represented Ireland in the men's modern pentathlon at two Olympic Games, finishing 25th at London 2012 and 8th at Rio 2016. His London appearance came about unexpectedly - he was on holiday when informed that a Polish competitor had failed a drugs test, opening up a wildcard berth that he accepted at [...]
Natalya Coyle
BIOGRAPHY Natalya Coyle represented Ireland in modern pentathlon at three Olympic Games - London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. At London 2012 she finished 9th, becoming Ireland's first modern pentathlon representative at the Olympics since the 1980s. At Rio 2016 she finished 6th. At Tokyo 2020 she finished 24th. Coyle grew up in Tara, [...]