modern pentathlon

noun

: a composite contest in which all contestants compete in a 300-meter freestyle swim, a 4000-meter cross-country run, a 5000-meter 30-jump equestrian steeplechase, épée fencing, and target shooting at 25 meters

Examples of modern pentathlon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The modern pentathlon will drop its horse event, possibly adding a human obstacle course. Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2022 Few except for hardcore fans would care about Greco-Roman wrestling, modern pentathlon or fencing — if that is, nationalism were not the obvious backdrop. Stephen Wade, ajc, 15 Mar. 2022 Later that month, Keller attended a fundraiser for then-U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) at the Colorado Springs home of Eli Bremer, who competed in the modern pentathlon in the Beijing Olympics. Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2022 In August, German modern pentathlon coach Kim Raisner was disqualified from the Tokyo Games after hitting a horse that the animal's assigned rider Annika Schleu had been struggling to control. PEOPLE.com, 5 Nov. 2021 Boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon, each of which has dealt with its own troubles and scandals in recent years, were also excluded from the initial list. Michelle Bruton, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2021 Equestrian show jumping will be dropped from the modern pentathlon at the Olympics following the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, according to the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM). PEOPLE.com, 5 Nov. 2021 And in what could be an Olympic first, a coach with the German modern pentathlon team was kicked out of the Games for punching a horse that balked at jumping. NBC News, 8 Aug. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'modern pentathlon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of modern pentathlon was circa 1912

Dictionary Entries Near modern pentathlon

Cite this Entry

“Modern pentathlon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/modern%20pentathlon. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

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