Rio 2016

Rio 2016 venue: Deodoro Stadium; Modern Pentathlon Aquatics Center (Deodoro Zone)
Competition dates: Aug. 7-20
Medal events: 2 (men’s and women’s individual)
Olympic introduction: 1912 (Stockholm, Sweden)

Preview
The U.S. Olympic Modern Pentathlon Team is led by three-time Olympian Margaux Isaksen, who becomes the first woman to represent Team USA in modern pentathlon at three Olympic Games, having made her first Olympic appearance at age 16 in 2008. Joining Margaux are Olympic newcomers in younger sister, Isabella Isaksen and U.S. Army Sergeant Nathan Schrimsher. 

Margaux, who finished two seconds shy of earning a podium spot at the London 2012 Games, has hopes of capturing the elusive Olympic medal and become the first American to do so in pentathlon since 2000. Well on her way to her ultimate goal, Margaux captured the gold medal at the 2013 UIPM World Cup in Rio.

Invented by the Baron Pierre de Coubertin, creator of the modern Olympic Games, modern pentathlon honors the competition that was once the climax of the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece. The sport is a classic contest played out in five events: fencing, swimming, equestrian jumping, shooting and running – with all events taking place on the same day. The sport was initially contested only by military officers and was meant to reflect the skills an officer needed to possess to be successful in combat. Modern pentathlon at the Rio 2016 Games will include both men’s and women’s competitions.

Competition begins with a fencing (epee) qualifying round. The following day, athletes compete in four events. The first event is a 200m swimming race. Then competitors go back to fencing, in which all bouts are for one decisive hit in 1 minute. Athletes must fence with every other competitor. Fencing is followed by riding, which is a 12-obstacle jumping competition in which competitors are assigned an unfamiliar horse at random.

For the final phase, the combined running and shooting event, athletes start based on the handicap assigned from the previous events. This phase consists of four 800m laps, each prefaced by a laser shoot in which athletes must hit five targets before they can start the next 800m lap. The first across the finish line at the end of the final lap is the overall winner.

Athletes To Watch
Margaux Isaksen 
When she competes in Rio, Margaux Isaksen will become the first woman to represent Team USA in modern pentathlon at three Olympic Games. Isaksen made her Olympic debut at the Beijing Games in 2008 at age 16, placing 21st. Despite battling mononucleosis weeks before competition, she finished fourth at the London 2012 Games, just two seconds shy from the podium. Since London, she has collected wins at several world cups, continental and national championships and the prestigious Champions of Champions event, which brings together the winners of all of the world’s major competitions. One of her greatest international successes came in Rio, where she won her first world cup gold medal in 2013. 

Isabella Isaksen
Joining her sister in Rio, Isabella Isaksen is a junior national champion, transitioning with ease to the senior ranks. She is married to Olympic medal contender Amro El Geziry (Egypt), who with his younger brother, Omar, are the first brothers to ever compete in the same Olympic Games in modern pentathlon.

Nathan Schrimsher 
U.S. Army Sgt. Nathan Schrimsher was the first American to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games, in any sport, with his bronze medal at the 2015 Pan American Games. A native of Roswell, New Mexico, he is part of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program and is based in Fort Carson, Colorado, allowing him the opportunity to train at the flagship U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Nathan continues a tradition of U.S. Army WCAP athletes representing the United States in pentathlon.

Storylines

• When she competes in Rio, Margaux Isaksen will become the first woman to represent Team USA in modern pentathlon at three Olympic Games, having made her first Olympic appearance at age 16 in 2008. After placing fourth in London and finishing just two seconds shy of the podium, she is poised to contend for a medal in Rio.

• Margaux and Isabella Isaksen are the first sisters to ever compete in the same Olympic Games in Modern Pentathlon. Isabella is married to modern pentathlete, Amro El Geziry (Egypt), who along with his younger brother, Omar, are the first brothers to ever compete in the same Olympic Games in modern pentathlon. All four will be competing in Rio.

• U.S. Army Sergeant Nathan Schrimsher continues the U.S. Army tradition for Team USA in Modern Pentathlon, which began with Lt. George S. Patton in 1912. Schrimsher was the first American to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games, in any sport, after winning bronze at the 2015 Pan American Games.