The first international modern pentathlon competition in Los Angeles County since the 1984 Olympics begins Wednesday in Claremont and Pomona with 64 athletes from 19 nations expected to compete in the men’s semifinals.
Olympic gold medalist Aleksander Lesun of Russia and Pavlo Tymoshchenko of Ukraine, who finished second behind Lesun in the 2016 Olympics, are set to compete for the 36 spots in Friday’s final of the first stop of the modern pentathlon World Cup circuit.
The 12 Americans in the field include Nathan Schrimsher, 11th in the 2016 Olympics, and his younger brother Lucas.
The modern pentathlon consists of fencing, swimming, riding and the laser-run, where the athletes seek to hit a target five times from 10 meters with a laser pistol before running each of the four 800-meter laps.
An athlete failing to hit the target five times within 50 seconds is allowed to continue, but his or her hopes of a medal are gone.
The athlete with the most points through the first three events starts the laser-run first, with the rest of the field starting one second later for each point he or she is behind. The system assures the athlete crossing the finish line first wins the overall competition.
Riding is not included in the semifinals.
The modern pentathlon was invented in 1909 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, as a test of the skills required by 19th century cavalry soldiers. It has been held in each Summer Olympics since 1912.
Wednesday’s competition begins at 8 a.m. with one group of fencers competing at Fairplex’s Expo Hall 8. The swimming portion will be held at The Claremont Club at 9 and 11:30 a.m.
The second group of fencers will compete at 11 a.m. in Hall 8. The laser- runs will be held at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. on Fairplex’s infield.
The five-day event also includes the women’s semifinals Thursday and final Saturday and the mixed relay competition Sunday.
Admission is free Wednesday and Thursday, including the opening ceremonies. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children ages 12 and under Friday through Sunday.
The opening ceremony will be held Thursday at The Farm at Fairplex and will include the induction of World War II U.S. Army Gen. George S. Patton into the International Modern Pentathlon Hall of Fame.
Patton finished fifth in the modern pentathlon in the 1912 Summer Olympics.
Fairplex was awarded the U.S. stop on the modern pentathlon World Cup circuit annually from 2017-2020 in 2015. The 2020 event will serve as the U.S. Olympic Trials.
“Hosting the Modern Pentathlon World Cup at Fairplex for at least four years will expose this historic Olympic sport to a whole new fan base,” said David Simon, president of the Los Angeles Sports Council and the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games, which joined Fairplex in the successful bid for the event.
“Plus, the international television exposure and economic impact will be tremendous for the local area.”
–City News Service