Pentathlon Canada Moving Forward on Governance, Safe Sport and Gender Equity

Pentathlon Canada acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada for work about to be undertaken related to governance, safe sport and gender equity, all key areas that will contribute to growing the sport of Modern Pentathlon.

This support will allow Pentathlon Canada to review and revise our bylaws, policies and LTAD framework, develop a new 5-year strategic plan and move forward on safe sport and gender equity initiatives.

“Pentathlon Canada is excited to be in a position to put important governance processes in place while at the same time providing safe sport and gender equity training for our members,” states Rod Staveley, President of Pentathlon Canada. “With events on-hold for the short-term, this is a good time to focus on building foundational pieces that will help grow the sport of pentathlon now and in the future.”

About Modern Pentathlon
Modern pentathlon, a core Olympic sport, is the only sport created specifically for the Olympics. It was developed by the founder of the modern Olympics, Baron Pierre von Coubertin, as the ultimate skill-and-strength test of a soldier. The sport debuted at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics and has featured in every subsequent edition of the Games. The women’s competition debuted in 2000. It is still the most varied and demanding multisport test in the Olympic family.

What does a Modern Pentathlete do?
Modern pentathletes compete in five sports: one-touch épée fencing, 200-metre freestyle swimming, equestrian show-jumping and lastly, a combined laser pistol shooting and running event (referred to as Laser Run). The final Laser Run event is incredibly exciting. Athletes are seeded in order of their total points accumulated from the three previous sports. The number of seconds each athlete starts after the highest-ranked competitor is determined by their point’s difference. Following a short burst run to the laser targets, the athlete must complete five shots on the target’s bullseye within 50 seconds. Next comes an 800-metre run. After three more Laser Run legs, the first athlete crossing the finish line wins. The relay events (men, women and mixed) include all five sports, adjusted for teams of two.

For more information, please contact:
George A. Skene OLY
Media, Pentathlon Canada
media@pentathloncanada.ca