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Pentathlon
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The pentathlon (as opposed to the modern pentathlon) was an athletic event in the Olympic Games and other Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece. The name derives from Greek words for "five competitions." The five events were stadion (a short foot race), wrestling, which were also held as separate events, and the long jump, javelin throw, and discus throw, which were not held as separate events then. Pentathletes were considered to be among the most skilled athletes, and their training was often part of military service—each of the five events was thought to be useful in battle.
Ancient Olympics
The winner of the stadion was considered the champion of the entire Games, and was often the only name remembered in connection with a particular Games, especially during the earliest period.
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The pentathlon (as opposed to the modern pentathlon) was an athletic event in the Olympic Games and other Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece. The name derives from Greek words for "five competitions." The five events were stadion (a short foot race), wrestling, which were also held as separate events, and the long jump, javelin throw, and discus throw, which were not held as separate events then. Pentathletes were considered to be among the most skilled athletes, and their training was often part of military service—each of the five events was thought to be useful in battle.
Ancient Olympics
The winner of the stadion was considered the champion of the entire Games, and was often the only name remembered in connection with a particular Games, especially during the earliest period. If the same man won the long jump, discus throw, and javelin throw, there was no need to hold the stadion and wrestling events, although they would still be held separately. Wrestling was held in a sand pit, at the Olympic Games outside the Temple of Zeus, while the other events were all held in the stadion (or stadium) from which the name of the race was taken. Wrestling and the discus throw had essentially the same rules as their modern versions (although the actual technique used by the
athletes might have been a bit different), but the others had slight differences. The javelin throw used a leather strap, called an amentum, rather than having the athlete grip the shaft of the javelin itself. The stadion was a sprint of approximately 200 yards (or about 180 meters), longer than the modern 100 meter sprint, but shorter than all other ancient running events.
The long jump is perhaps the most unusual, compared to the modern version. A long jumper used weights called halteres to propel himself farther out of standing, and his jump probably consisted of five separate leaps, more like the modern triple jump; otherwise, distances of known jumps (which are often as far as 50 feet) would seem to be impossible.
Competitors in the javelin and discus throws were allowed five throws each, and only their longest throw would count. It is possible that the long jump was also attempted five times. In the classical games, it was traditional for all of these events to be performed naked.
A pentathlon was a five event athletic contest held as a
Part of the Olympic Games and other such events in
Ancient Greece. The pentathlon consisted of contests in
The javelin toss, the discus throw, the long jump, and a
Short foot race and wrestling. Only men were eligible.
Wrestling was always the final event in the pentathlon.
Winners of the pentathlon were considered among the
Finest athletes of their day. The pentathlon can be
Traced back to 708b.c. Pankration was added to the
Games in 648 BC. The ancient Olympic Games introduced
And retained a pentathlon for men in 708 B.C.E. but
Immediately dropped a pentathlon for boys introduced in
628 It was a primitive form of martial
Art combining wrestling and boxing, and was
Considered one of the toughest sports.
Greeks believed that it was founded by Theseus
When he defeated the fierce Minotaur in the
Labyrinth. Once in1964 to 1980 there was a
Women’s pentathlon. It consisted of five track and field
Events held over the course of 2 days. Other events were
The 100-meter hurdles, the shot put, the high jump, the
Long jump and the 200-meter sprint. The Greeks
Practiced only one jump the long jump. The ancient
Jumpers carried weights, which were called halters. The
Weights were made of stone or metal they weighed 4 to 8
Pounds. A truly capable athlete will not try to practice
In only one kind of contest, because he will not succeed in
The others. As the contest proceeds the weaker person
Gets eliminated only the two fittest will be left for the
Final test of strength. Ancient Greek javelin
Appears to be 6 feet long and as thick as a finger,
According to pictures. It was made of wood, with a
Metal point on the end. The javelins they threw in
War were most likely a great deal heavier, but this
Athletic event gave soldiers much practice for
War. The ancient throwers used a throwing strap
About a foot long, wrapped around the center of
The body of the javelin. Although there is no
Definite idea of how far an ancient competitor
Could throw a javelin, a good guess could be
About 300 feet. In Greek myth, the Pentathlon was
Invented by Jason. Jason was the ancient Greek
Hero who was sent to get the Golden Fleece. The
Pentathlon was more than likely the climax of the
Ancient games, with the winner being crowned
Bold text
'Victor Ludorum'.
Modern Olympics
In addition to the modern pentathlon, there has also been an athletics pentathlon event for men and women in the modern Olympic Games. The first competition for the men was at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm and the first for women was at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. In 1984 the 7-event heptathlon replaced the pentathlon as the women's Olympic multi-event. Details of the men's pentathlon are found in the following Classic Pentathon section. The events for the women's Olympic pentathlon were, in order:
- 80 meter hurdles / 100 meter hurdles (after 1976 Olympic Games)
- Shot Put
- High jump
- Long jump
- 200 meters / 800 meters (after 1976 Olympic Games)
The heptathlon added the javelin and 800 meters to the contest, and made it into
a two-day event.
Classic Pentathlon
The Classic Penththlon was contested in Olympic Games from 1906 through 1924.
In the 1912 Olympic Games, Jim Thorpe won both the Pentathlon and Decathlon
titles, only to have them later taken away for professionalism. His titles
were restored some 75 years later by the IOC.
In the United States, the Pentathlon was contested as a National AAU championship event until 1978. With the breakup of the AAU as a result of the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, Track & Field came under separate leadership. The new The Athletics Congress (TAC), now called USATF, chose to drop the Pentathlon, as well as several other multi-event contests, as national championship events. The last National AAU Pentathlon Championships was held in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1978.
The events in the Classic Pentathlon are, in order:
- Long Jump
- Javelin
- 200 meters
- Discus
- 1500 meters
Except for the final event, the events of the Classic Pentathon are essentially the same as the ancient Greek pentathlon, contested in the original Olympic Games. Instead of having a Greco-Roman type wrestling contest between the finalists, the Track & Field (Athletics) pentathlon contests the 1500 meters. It was thought that each of the primary event-types in Athletics were represented in the pentathlon - jumping (Long Jump), throwing a spear (Javelin), sprinting (200 meters), throwing a weight (Discus) and endurance running (1500 meters; metric mile).
A listing of all past U.S. national Pentathlon champions is found on the USATF web site under past national champions. The event was also popular as an
event in Europe and the USSR. Most top pentathletes are also top decathletes.
Indoor Pentathlon
The International Association of Athletic Federations (I.A.A.F.), the world governing body for Athletics (Track & Field, Road Running) contests a World Championship Indoor Pentathlon for women, and an Indoor Heptathlon for men. Until 2000 men contested the Indoor Pentathlon. The events for the women's Indoor Pentathlon World Championships are, in order;
- 60 meter hurdles
- High Jump
- Shot Put
- Long Jump
- 800 meters
High School/Secondary School Pentathlon
In the United States, the National High School Federation authorizes both outdoor and indoor multi-event competition. Boys may contest the pentathlon and decathlon, girls the pentathlon and heptathlon. Outdoor events for the Pentathlon include, in order:
Boys
- Long Jump
- High Jump
- 200 metres
- Discus
- 1600 metres
Girls
- 100 hurdles/200 metres
- High Jump
- Shot Put
- Long Jump
- 800 metres
Secondary schools in other nations generally use the Classic Pentathlon events for boys.
Indoor events are the same as listed in Indoor Pentathlon.
See also
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