pentathlon

American  

[pen-tath-luhn, -lon] / pɛnˈtæθ lən, -lɒn /

noun

1. an athletic contest comprising five different track and field events and won by the contestant gaining the highest total score.

2. modern pentathlon.

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pentathlon British  

/ pɛnˈtæθlən /

noun

1. an athletic contest consisting of five different events, based on a competition in the ancient Greek Olympics Compare decathlon

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Usage

What is the pentathlon? A pentathlon is an athletic competition in which athletes compete in five different events. There are different versions of pentathlons involving different events. The event known as the modern pentathlon (or sometimes the military pentathlon) is a multisport competition that includes épée fencing, a freestyle swim, equestrian jumping, and an event that combines a cross-country run with pistol target-shooting. The modern pentathlon is an event at the Summer Olympic Games. There are also track-and-field competitions known as pentathlons that usually include long jump, high jump, shot put, a sprint with hurdles, and a longer race. (A similar competition with two additional events is called a heptathlon.)The pentathlon dates back to the ancient Greek Olympic Games. The traditional pentathlon events include running, long jump, discus, javelin, and wrestling. Events in pentathlons are usually spread out (unlike endurance competitions such as triathlons, in which the events happen directly after one another). In pentathlons, winning is based on a point system. Athletes who participate in a pentathlon can be called pentathletes. Example: Most athletes are specialists—devoting all of their training to a single sport—but competing in a pentathlon requires mastery of multiple sports.

Other Word Forms

• pentathlete noun

Etymology

Origin of pentathlon

1700–10; < Greek pénthāthlon, equivalent to pent- pent- ( def. ) + âthlon contest

Explanation

A pentathlon is a sports competition with five events, designed to test an athlete's skills and endurance across multiple challenges. The word pentathlon is a combination of two Greek words: pente, meaning "five," and athlon, meaning "competition." The first pentathlon was held in Ancient Greece as a part of the Olympics. It combined sprinting, jumping, discus throwing, javelin throwing, and wrestling. The pentathlon is still part of the modern Olympics: It includes swimming, fencing, shooting, and running, and while it traditionally included equestrian show jumping, the sport is transitioning to include obstacle course racing instead. Athletes who compete in pentathlons are known as pentathletes.

Example Sentences

The 36-year-old became only the third Northern Irish winner of the prize after former jockey AP McCoy and 1972 Olympic pentathlon champion Mary Peters.

From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025

She played hockey and tennis at school, and was a keen athlete, competing in the 800m, cross-country and pentathlon.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2025

Olympic hub in the Sepulveda Basin officially added 3x3 basketball and modern pentathlon Tuesday to the recreation center that will host BMX and skateboarding.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2025

Great Britain's defending Olympic champion Kate French has withdrawn from the modern pentathlon final in Paris because of illness.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2024

The various innovations and additions were well known, and it is certain that at Olympia too the range of contests had been enlarged by the pentathlon, the pancration, the hoplite race, &c.

From Problems in Greek history by Mahaffy, John Pentland