Modern Pentathlon - Champions
The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (International Modern Pentathlon Union) works as the international governing body for modern pentathlon worldwide. Introduced in 1912, presently it organizes modern pentathlon events in more than 90 countries worldwide. Its headquarter is in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
Different modern pentathlon championship events organized by UIPM worldwide are −
- UIPM Senior World Championships
- UIPM Senior World Cup
- UIPM European championship
Let us now discuss briefly about some of the champions who have made a mark in Modern Pentathlon.
Andras Balczo
Andras Balczo is considered as the most successful athlete in modern pentathlon. He belongs to Kondoros, Hungary and is a retired modern pentathlete.
Throughout his professional career, he has competed thrice in Olympic Games in the year 1960, 1968 and 1972 both in team as well as individual events and won three golds and two silver medals.
He has also won 10 golds, 7 silvers and 2 bronzes in the World Modern Pentathlon Championships. He has also won Hungarian Sportsman of the Year in 1966, 1969 and 1972.
Attila Mizser
Attila Mizser is from Budapest, Hungary and is a modern pentathlete. He has won a team gold medal in 1988 Olympic Games and an individual silver medal in 1992 Olympic Games in modern pentathlon.
He has also won five golds, five silvers and one bronze in the World Modern Pentathlon Championships.
He has won numerous awards including the Hungarian Sportsman of the Year in 1985, and Hungarian Modern Pentathlete of the Year in 1985, 1990 and 1992.
Lars Goran Ivar Hall
Lars Goran Ivar Hall or popularly known as Lars Hall was from Karlskrona, Sweden and was a professional modern pentathlete.
He competed at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics in modern pentathlon and won gold in individual category in both attempts and a silver in the 1952 Olympics in team category.
He has also won six golds in the World Modern Pentathlon Championships. Because of his achievements, he was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1956.
Pavel Serafimovich Lednyov
Pavel Serafimovich Lednyov belongs to Nizhny Novgorod, Russia and was a modern pentathlete. He won a total of 7 Olympic medals in modern pentathlon which is the highest number in the sport till date. Among these medals, there were two golds, two silvers and three bronzes.
He won four medals in individual category and three in team. He has also won six golds, one silver and two bronzes in the World Modern Pentathlon Championships.
He was listed among the Soviet Union top ten athletes of the year by the Federation of Sports Journalists of the USSR in 1973 and 1975.
Sheila Christine Taormina
Sheila Christine Taormina is from Livonia, Michigan, USA and is a modern pentathlete. She competed at Olympics in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 and was the first woman to qualify for the Olympics in three different sports.
She won the women's senior division of the 2005 Pan American Championships and had also qualified for the modern pentathlon for the 2008 Olympic Games. Her name was included in 2015 Hall of Fame.
Kate Allenby
Kate Allenby is from Devon, United Kingdom and is a modern pentathlete. She has competed twice in the Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004 and won a bronze medal in 2000 Olympics in individual category.
She has also won four golds, one silver and two bronzes in the World Modern Pentathlon Championships among which three were in team category and three were in individual category.
She has also won one gold and one bronze at the European Championship in 1998 and 2004 in individual category. She was the Director of the Fencing discipline for the Modern Pentathlon event at London Olympics 2012.
Heather Fell
Heather Fell is from Plymouth, England and is a modern pentathlete. She has competed once in the Olympic Games in 2008 and won an individual silver medal. She has also won two golds and one silver medal in the 2003 World Junior Championships.
She has also won one gold and four silvers in the World Modern Pentathlon Championships among which four were in team category and one was in relay category.
She has also won one gold, three silvers and two bronzes at the European Championship along with one gold and two bronzes at the World Cup.
Samantha Murray
Samantha Murray is from Lancashire, England and is a modern pentathlete. She has competed in the Olympic Games in 2012 and won a silver medal in individual category.
She has also won three golds, three silvers and one bronze in the World Modern Pentathlon Championships among which four were in team category, two in individual category and one in relay category.
She has also won two golds in European Championships, one in team relay and one in team category.
Victoria Anatoliivna Tereshchuk
Victoria Anatoliïvna Tereshchuk is from Ukraine and is a modern pentathlete. She has competed in the Olympic Games, 2008 and won a bronze medal in individual category.
She has also won three golds, two silvers and two bronzes in the World Modern Pentathlon Championships among which two were in individual category, two in mixed relay, two in relay and one was in team category.
She has also won one gold, two silvers and two bronzes in European Championships among which two were in mixed relay, one in team category and one in individual category.
