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Modern Pentathlon Venues

A sport like no other, at the London 2012 Games Modern Pentathlon will celebrate 100 years as part of the Olympic Games. Held at the Handball Arena - Olympic Park (fencing); Aquatics Centre - Olympic Park (swimming); and Greenwich Park (riding, combined event).

Modern Pentathlon was championed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, and has its origins in a 19th-century legend. The story goes that a young French cavalry officer was sent on horseback to deliver a message. To complete his mission, he had to ride, fence, shoot, swim and run – the five challenges that face competitors in Modern Pentathlon today.

Modern Pentathlon competitions are conducted over a single day. The first element is fencing, for which athletes are required to fence against every other athlete. The fencing is then followed by swimming (200m freestyle) and riding (jumping over a 12-jump course). Athletes are given a score for each element of the competition.

After the first three elements, the athletes’ total scores are converted into a time handicap. The handicap determines the starting times for the combined run/shoot element, for which athletes are required to shoot at sets of five targets after running several stretches of 1,000m. The winner of the competition is the athlete who crosses the finish line first.

Handball Arena - Fencing

The Handball Arena is the venue for the Fencing discipline of Modern Pentathlon. Behind the scenes a 13,700sq m back-of-house area will include facilities for catering, security and the media. There will also be a temporary warm-up area of 1400sq m and up to 15m high. There will be just 48 hours to get the venue ready for the Modern Pentathlon Fencing events after the Handball competition finishes. This will include removing the Handball field of play mat, laying the ten Fencing pistes (playing areas); and installing new technology for timing and scoring and new scoreboards at each Fencing piste.

Aquatics Centre - Swimming

Construction on the Aquatics Centre began in 2008. It will be the ‘gateway’ to the Olympic Park, with more than two-thirds of spectators expected to enter the Olympic Park over a vast bridge that runs over the top of part of the venue. During the games the majority of spectators will be seated in two temporary wings that will be taken down after the Games. It will have a 50m competition pool, a 25m competition diving pool, a 50m warm-up pool and a ‘dry’ warm-up area. The Aquatics centre will host the aquatics discipline of the Modern Pentathlon.

Greenwich Park

Greenwich Park is London’s oldest Royal Park, dating back to 1433. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1997. Within the Park is The Royal Observatory and the home of Greenwich Mean Time. Greenwich Park includes the Old Royal Naval College and National Maritime Museum, which, together with Greenwich Park, are part of a World Heritage Site. At London 2012, Greenwich Park will host the riding + the combined running and shooting event of the Modern Pentathlon.