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Olympic history (pre London 2012)

Modern pentathlon, is five different disciplines in one event comprising of shooting, fencing, swimming, horse riding and running. It was the invention of Pierre de Coubertin and entered the Olympic Games program for men in Stockholm in 1912. Women’s modern pentathlon was added to the Olympic Games program in Sydney 2000. The ancient Olympic Games had the pentathlon which comprised of jumping, discus, javelin, running and wrestling.

For the London 2012 Olympic Games, modern pentathlon has a new format with the running and shooting disciplines joining for one final combined run/shoot event.

Summary of past Australian Olympic team results

• Australia has never won a medal in modern pentathlon, although it came close in Tokyo in 1964 with Peter Macken finishing fourth in the individual event and the team of Macken, Don McMiken and Duncan Page placing fifth.
• The first Australian to compete in the modern pentathlon was Forbes Carlisle, in Helsinki in 1952. Carlisle went on to become a world-famous swimming coach.

Sporting organisation

Modern Pentathlon Australia	Find a club