Is modern pentathlon the weirdest Olympic sport?

The event has been around for over a century, but you've probably never watched it. So why is it still in the Olympics?

[tacitdionysus]

There's another reason why modern pentathlon doesn't get much attention; it's probably the most difficult of all events. It requires skills across so many disciplines that few are willing to attempt it. Which is a pity because it's also probably the best event for all round athletes, as opposed to those with highly specialised skills. It's under-rated by the media, which again is unfortunate as many of its components are relatively short (easier to cover), is full of spills and surprises, has components where athletes compete directly with each other, and it's difficult to predict the winner until close to the finish. What works against it is its complexity; very few commentators have expertise across all its components (although that doesn't restrain them in other sports they know little about). The best thing the sport has done in recent times is to combine the running and shooting (air/laser) in an arena. It makes the finishing component into a competitive spectacle for public viewing. It will probably pick up in Australia, where it now has an excellent public face in the intelligent and media savvy gold medal winner Chloe Esposito (and her equally talented brother and parents).

[ethanomcbride]

This is so delightful. The Pentathlon is basically a 19th century gentleman’s training camp.

[phanuelmariano]

How is beach volleyball weird? It’s a sport played by millions of people every year at beaches worldwide.

[santhosh_se]

Flying should be added in this to make it wholesome

[mattiavalentini]

I'm a pentathlete and i love this sport so much i do it since i was 5 and i give in every training my self for go to the olimpics in future. My father also went to the olimpics as a pentathlete in 2004 and 2008. It's not weird it's only the most difficult sport un the world!

[totalmentemad]

People don't watch it because the Olympics doesn't show that much. I only found out about and it seems very fun to watch.

[gagnabil]

No it s not weird. I like the m pentathlon competition cuz it s the most complete sport and the people practicing it are the strongest

[ccengineer]

They should just update it to the military pentathlon:
Shooting, Obstacle running, Obstacle swimming, throwing, cross country running.

[mohamadazmin]

Unlike biathlon and triathlon, modern pentathlon is a not purely combined sport. I also accepted Nordic Combined is a sport .

[daz]

It is all about being what we now call a Renaissance man. Being strong and athetic, being able to handle a horse well, swim, run, and handle weapons. A hundred years ago, that ideal was still respected and sought after; there was a huge upsurge in interest in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and things yet older and more ancient. While I realize most people will never so much as touch a horse probably in their lifetime now, and everyone is so scared and anxious they can barely stand up out of bed, I still feel these are skills everyone should have. You learn things about yourself when you deal with and take care of animals and do physical and potentially dangerous things that you will never learn any other way. Watching the way people change about how they feel about themselves, grow in their confidence, lose their fear of living and how quickly it happens when they participate in martial arts of all kinds has been one of the great things I have observed in a lifetime of combat sports. It also happens with regular sports, both team and individual, but I think maybe just a little faster in the martial arts.

However, as a long time fencer, I take exception to the piddly one touch bouts they have. Takes longer to put on the dang suit! Should be a ten touch bout at least. Demonstrates stamina and skill, not just a fast or a lucky stab.... And when did this laser pistol thing start???? Glorified laser pointer? Learning to manage the weight and kick of a firearm to maintain one's aim is suppose to be part of the deal. Not to mention you just got to love the smell of gunpowder...! Takes all the fun out. I do like that they have combined the shooting and running together though, like the bi-athlon in the winter sports. Makes that more challenging at least. Harder to shoot well when you are physically stressed.

[utpalsachankaboro]

So basically pentathlon is Army Boot camp.

[ianglv]

Such clickbait titles are the what makes YouTube unwatchable. You neither answer the question (to which the answer is an obvious no, I could argue that any sport is the weirdest, even football) and you begin attacking a sport that you won't even consider picking up because of how lazy you might be. Modern Pentathlon takes a lot of practice and will to even start producing some results, where you need to master five completely differing sports for you to be a good pentathlete. You can't ace one discipline and suck at another one - you have to be good at all of the five disciplines. The reason there is little interest in the watching of the sport is the format, which requires an entire day for the five disciplines to be completed. Still, I don't think that it should be removed since it is one of the founding sports for the Olympics.

[Quenyandur]

The only real Modern Olympic discipline.
De Coubertine himself came up with it for the most allround dicipline.
It should be covered more.
A messenger on horse, shooting, running, swimming and fencing. As pentathlete and horse archer: Why is horse archery not an olympic discipline?

[MrCombineGuy]

Modern pentathlon is really just vibe checking you to see if you'd make a good aristocrat

[Ramboost]

The weirdest sports is clearly racewalking

[luisurteaga]

You should not comment if you never practice this sport! But your ignorance is unforgettable, the Modern Pentathlon takes after the ancient Pentathlon, which also was a sport for the soldier of the ancient times, and the winners of this sport was considered the most complete athlete of the games. However, because it is not TV friendly its been relegate, but if you do your work before commenting you will find that will be the most complete sport in the whole olympic games! But you are excuse because you are other person that only makes a comment because you are allow "only" and before you comment, you should try to practice the same for a week and you will see what a mean, oh! Sorry, probably you just another nerd that never practice a sport.

[maybewise]

If they drop ANYTHING "table tennis" should be the first considered.

[firsttahelia]

The movie is interesting, the subject is interesting, but man, again, why does everybody have to have weird music in the background to distract from the subject? It's such a sickness, I just stop watching. Sorry.