Those decathletes are unreal. I can’t imagine training for 10 events, let alone putting up the results they do.
Agreed. Very impressive. What happened to Pappas?
He pulled out during the pole vault w/ a foot injury.
don’t you think that it is much more difficult to train for the modern Pentathlon ? They do 5 complete different sports and not only 10 different athletic sports
don’t you think that it is much more difficult to train for the modern Pentathlon ? They do 5 complete different sports and not only 10 different athletic sports
No way. A 200m swim, shooting, fencing, show jumping, and 3,000m run isn’t even close for my money. It’s only 5 events and believe me, having participated in almost all of the decathlon events at one time or another, almost all 10 of those events are completely different dicliplines, not to mention much harder on the body.
sigh…getting ready for all the fencing, show jumping and shooting fans to talk about how difficult these events are…
I would agree that the decathlon is more physically demanding than the modern pentathlon, but I think it would take more time to train for the latter.
Jim Thorpe is probably the most famous modern pentathlete, but did you know that George Patton competed for the US in the 1912 Olympic Games as well. I though that he had won the bronze medal, but double checked and found that he did not.
As a fencing fan, I’ll let you slide.
I have to say, it must cost a crapload of money to do those five sports, much more than decathlon. Heck, just the horse probably costs more than everything else.
Pentathlon actually sounds like spy training(or just another day at the family estate). Swim, then shoot, then swashbuckle, then ride a horse, then run real fast. Your martini is ready, Mr. Bond.
Jim Thorpe is the greatest athlete AND one of the most tragic life stories in American history.
He should have moved to Sweeden … where the people loved him. In America he was more novelty than revered.
Jim Thorpe was Bo Jackson (and then some) before there ever was a Bo Jackson. It’s amazing how unappreciated and celebrates Thorpe was in the US.
My dad and I both went to Dickinson College, which is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, once home to the Carlisle Indian School, where Jim Thorpe first made his name as a great athlete. My father claims to have seen Jim Thorpe drop kick a football more than 50 yards when my father was in college and Jim Thorpe would have been at least 50.
Pentathlon actually sounds like spy training(or just another day at the family estate). Swim, then shoot, then swashbuckle, then ride a horse, then run real fast. Your martini is ready, Mr. Bond.
That’s an entertaining paragraph.
“Spy Training”. LOL. … and Here’s Sean Connery to present the Gold Medal to the winner of the 2004 Pentathlon. … of course, they play Bond music during the podium scene … and the winner has 2 vuluptuous (sp?) females draped around him.
After riding the horse, it must make the athlete feel as though they are going a “snail’s pace” during their run.
Come on…Pentathlon?! What an elitist sport!!! That is the epitome of elitism. A sport where only the rich can partake. Let’s see how anyone without a fat wallet can train for that. “When will my horse be ready for my morning ride James”?
Sorry…I am in a bit of a mood today.
Pentathlon actually sounds like spy training(or just another day at the family estate). Swim, then shoot, then swashbuckle, then ride a horse, then run real fast. Your martini is ready, Mr. Bond.
Ha. Actually, the point of modern pentathlon is nearly just that. Picture being a soldier behind enemy lines, trying to get back to your side with vital information. You must be able to shoot or fence to defend yourself, and you must be able to run and swim to cross harsh terrain. Finally, you must be able to ride any horse you can find. That’s why the horses are provided to the competitors at race time; they don’t use their own.
Modern pentathletes may not be the best athletes (their run/swim times aren’t very good), but training for it takes a lot of time, I’ll bet; much more than triathlon.
True and not true. I am betting many of the fast guys could bring out a can of wup ass on most of the other triathletes on a much cheaper bike and in a pair of sloppy saddles. The money it costs to compete is partly a result of expensive tastes and greed. Think about it…are power devices, zipp wheels, and even a wetsuit necessary to complete in a triathlon. Anyone chasing the dream of becoming the best could do it on far less money and wait until their performances justify the expense of many of the toys. The only expenses that are unavoidable are the entrance fees. Going through university I trained and raced with friends that were piss poor and damn fast. They would usually buy the used equipment from the middle of the packers.
There is an article about modern pentathon in today’s Wall Street Journal and the USA team at least does not look elitest. The two members of the USA team are in the Army. The third member of the team is a Green Beret but he is on duty in Afghanastan so he had to skip the games.
BTW - I seem to recall reading that at the start of the Afghan war, US special forces got around on horseback so maybe this spy stuff is not so far fetched.
I may stand corrected about the elitiest comment.
In the early 70’s I wanted to stay in college instead of a jungle vacation with guns and joined ROTC. I was a butterfly and distance swimmer that could run. One of our instructors in ROTC was a former Pentathlete adn got me a tryout.
The Army was looking for swimmers that coud run. The lodgic being it takes years of coaching to make a swimmer and a runner is more if a raw
talent. Anyway they would give you a year to get your shooting down, (steadyness is a born gift with
a pistol). If after a year you could shoot, then they would invest several more years in the equestrian and fencing training.
I got accepted to the school but had a history of asthma as a child and was 4F. So I didn’t get to go play pentathlon, but I didn’t have to go to the war either. Thats all I know about that sport, except most of the competitors aren’t rich, but in the military. G
I’m a big fan of biathlon, as well. Only two sports, but they go really well together. You get your heart thumping pretty hard on XC skis, and then have to hold a rifle steady and shoot at small targets. For each miss, you have to ski penalty laps (I forget the details of this). Plus, it’s not totally random as it is derived from Scandanavian military ski patrols.
What do you get to shoot at? Cats?
Okay okay, I’m sorry to all the cat lovers, I couldn’t help myself.
Actually the North American Horse Trials are at my neighbors house this weekend. They’ve got all their jumps set up with flower pots etc. Between the Dressage, arena jumping, and cross country its all very entertaining. In my opinion, the horses are the athletes, especially in cross country, but it takes a skilled rider to convince the horse its okay to jump some of that stuff.
I can’t watch this year as I’ll be racing in Indy.
Rocketboy