and you think track's format-tinkering is radical....

[lonewolf]

I have done all five events..... did not like the fencing.

[Conor Dary]

Modern Pentathlon is for wannabe Olympians who are (not) good at any sport.

Not so....at my old high school one of our top swimmers at a school that won 12 state titles in a row and several Olympians....

Robert Nieman, Class of 1966, has distinguished himself numerous times in the sports of Modern Pentathlon and Fencing. He made 3 Olympic Teams in Pentathlon. He was also a member of the U.S. Olympic Fencing Team in 1980, when he also Co-Captained the U. S. Summer Olympic Team.

While at Hinsdale Central High School, Mr. Nieman was an outstanding member of the swimming team. He was the only double winner in the State Championship in 1966, winning the 100 and 200 yard free style events. His later accomplishments include winning the U. S. National Pentathlon Championships ('76, '82, and '88) and the U. S. National Team Fencing Championships (1979 through 1983, and 1990). He is the only American ever to win an individual World Championship in Modern Pentathlon (Budapest, Hungary -- 1979), and a member of the first American team ever to win the team World Championship, also in 1979.

Mr. Nieman was a two-time Sullivan Award Finalist (1980 and '81), an award given to the top amateur athlete in the United States, and he also held the world record in Pentathlon swimming from 1976 to 1980. Most recently he served as a Modern Pentathlon judge at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.

https://hinsdalecentralfoundation.org/index.php/robert-nieman/

[gm]

Way back when, I rendered a bit of help with his running to Rob Stull. He was a pretty gifted athlete.

[Bruce Kritzler]

Track man, Mike Burley (4:14 hs mile, Berea Midpark, Ohio) ran at OSU, 1976 Olympian and 1979 World Ch. team in modern Pentathlon.

[El Toro]

Something more "modern" like an obstacle/cross country race like Spartan Race is more likely than cross country.

...or double down on the horses and drop fencing in favour of jousting! I'd pay to see that.

[Tuariki]

Did you forget a "not" somewhere?

duh, duh.
true that.

Mind you those who do the modern pentathlon would say I got it right.

[gh]

an interesting read with an historical bent...

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/bl...nched-olympics

[noone]

Modern Pentathlon is for wannabe Olympians who are [edit addition - NOT] good at any sport.

Pardon me, that is an ignorant statement. Have you watched any Modern Pentathlon? How would you like it if somebody who knows nothing about athletics made a flippant judgment about the decathlon or heptathlon?

[Awsi Dooger]

I like modern pentathlon and always wish it received more coverage. For a long time I had a YouTube channel filled mostly with 300 classic sporting events. The nicest responses by far were from participants and fans of modern pentathlon who appreciated that I uploaded the 1984 coverage. They had been looking for it for a long time. Then years later the IOC zapped my channel for copyright complaints and never uploaded a replacement video of that coverage. In fact, that holds true of almost everything they zapped.

I felt like punching the horse myself. I don't mind saying that. The German woman devoted 5 years then into the crapper just because she drew Saint Boy. The only good news was that it was certain to cause revisitation of the riding discipline. I'm glad it's gone. But I have no idea why they didn't replace it via an obstacle course version not requiring a horse. That would have satisfied the old military connection plus been interesting to spectators while fitting the need to remain in a confined area. It could have been running, crawling, jumping, swinging, shimmying and you name it. Instead I have no idea how a cycle race will fit within the goal of a 90 minute total window for the competition, while remaining interesting and challenging enough.

[El Toro]

....I have no idea how a cycle race will fit within the goal of a 90 minute total window for the competition, while remaining interesting and challenging enough.

Obligatory crash potential for the ratings! https://youtu.be/KT8iCp05wRg

[Cooter Brown]

...or double down on the horses and drop fencing in favour of jousting! I'd pay to see that.

Jousting and broad sword fighting would be amazing additions.

[br]

LA 2028 Olympic Games: Horse riding cut from modern pentathlon event

Horse riding will be removed from modern pentathlon's programme at the Olympics from Los Angeles 2028, the sport's governing UIPM announced on Thursday, with a consultation process set to start soon to find a suitable replacement.

https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/32552376/la-2028-olympic-games-horse-riding-cut-modern-pentathlon-event

[KevinR]

How about adding Bull Riding? Whaddaya think, lonewolf?

[lonewolf]

How about adding Bull Riding? Whaddaya think, lonewolf?

That would have to be the final event and would separate the serious from the curious from the pretenders. I have broken horses but my bull riding was limited to small stock. First lesson: Do not get on a bull in a barbed-wire corral.

[polevaultpower]

So now it will be a triathlon with weapons.