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Women's pentathlon

Combined track and field competition for women

Combined track and field competition for women

The pentathlon or women's pentathlon is a combined track and field event in which each woman competes in five separate events over one day (formerly two days). The distance or time for each event is converted to points via scoring tables, with the overall ranking determined by total points. Since 1949 the events have been sprint hurdling, high jump, shot put, long jump, and a flat race. The sprint hurdles distance was 80 m outdoors until 1969 and thereafter 100 m; in indoor pentathlon the distance is 60 m. The flat race was 200 m until 1976 and thereafter 800 m. In elite-level outdoor competition, the pentathlon was superseded in 1981 by the heptathlon, which has seven events, with both 200 m and 800 m, as well as the javelin throw. Pentathlon is still contested at school and masters level and indoors.

History

The word pentathlon is derived from the Greek pente (five) and athlon (contest). The ancient Olympic pentathlon comprised a sprint, the javelin and discus throws, long jump, and wrestling. The modern pentathlon is a multi-sport event. In men's track and field, pentathlon competitions were held in the 20th century, but the ten-event decathlon became the standard multi-event contest.

The International Women's Sports Federation was established in 1921 and the first reported pentathlon was in the 1922 Women's Olympiad in Monte Carlo. The events were: 60 m, 300 m, high jump, two-hand javelin, and two-hand shot. In the late 1920s, the events were: shot and long jump on the first day, and 100 m, high jump, and javelin on the second day. The first world record recognised by the IAAF was set at the 1934 Women's World Games by Gisela Mauermayer.

From 1949 the events were: shot, high jump, and 200 m on the first day; 80 m hurdles and long jump on the second. The scoring tables were changed in 1954, and again in 1971. In 1961, the order of the events was changed to: 80 m hurdles, shot, and high jump on the first day; long jump and 200 m on the second, in 1971 the 80 m hurdles were changed to 100 m hurdles. From 1977 all were contested in a single day. Pentathlon was contested at the European Athletics Championships from 1950 to 1978, and at the Olympics from 1964 until 1980. The IAAF has not ratified world records in outdoor pentathlon since replacing it in 1981 with the heptathlon.

Indoors

Indoors The pentathlon is still held indoors, where the heptathlon cannot be held as arenas are too small for the javelin throw. It was added to the IAAF World Indoor Championships as an unofficial event in 1993 and officially in 1995. The indoor pentathlon is held over a one-day period. Each athlete completes one event at the same time, then there is a 30-minute break until the next event. The current world record is 5055 points by Nafissatou Thiam at the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships.

Events
60 metres hurdles
High jump
Shot put
Long jump
800 metres

All-time top 25

(60 m hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump, 800m)

  • Correct as of 10 March 2023.
RankScoreAthleteDatePlaceRef12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
5055Nafissatou Thiam3 March 2023Istanbultitle=Pentathlon Resultsurl=https://istanbul23results.european-athletics.com/resIST2023/pdf/IST2023/ATH/IST2023_ATH_C73U_ATHWPENTATH-----------800---------.pdfwebsite=European Athleticsdate=3 March 2023access-date=3 March 2023}}
5014Adrianna Sułek3 March 2023Istanbul
5013Nataliya Dobrynska9 March 2012Istanbul
5004Anna Hall16 February 2023Albuquerque
5000Katarina Johnson-Thompson6 March 2015Prague
4991Irina Belova15 February 1992Berlin
4965Jessica Ennis9 March 2012Istanbul
4948Carolina Klüft4 March 2005Madrid
4929Noor Vidts18 March 2022Belgrade
4927Kelly Sotherton2 March 2007Birmingham
4922Saga Vanninen9 March 2025Apeldoorn
4896Ekaterina Bolshova7 February 2012Moscow
4881Brianne Theisen-Eaton18 March 2016Portland
4877Tia Hellebaut11 February 2007Ghent
4866Svetlana Moskalets3 February 1995Chelyabinsk
4850Natallia Sazanovich9 March 2001Lisbon
4830Nadine Broersen7 March 2014Sopot
4826Sofie Dokter9 March 2025Apeldoorn
4808Urszula Włodarczyk27 February 1998Valencia
4805Sharon Day-Monroe21 February 2014Albuquerque
4802Austra Skujytė9 March 2012Istanbul
4801Larisa Turchinskaya11 March 1994Paris
Karin Ruckstuhl2 March 1997Birmingham
4792Olga Kurban7 February 2012Moscow
4784Anna Bogdanova4 February 2009Penza
4781Kate O'Connor9 March 2025Apeldoorn

Notes

Below is a list of scores equal or superior to 4781 pts:

  • Katarina Johnson-Thompson also scored 4983 (2019).
  • Carolina Klüft also scored 4944 (2007), 4933 (2003).
  • Jessica Ennis-Hill also scored 4937 (2010).
  • Nafissatou Thiam also scored 4904 (2021), 4870 (2017).
  • Natallia Dobrynska also scored 4880 (2012).
  • Tia Hellebaut also scored 4867 (2008).
  • Adrianna Sułek also scored 4860 (2023), 4851 (2022).
  • Noor Vidts also scored 4823 (2023).

Annulled marks

  • Tatyana Chernova of Russia's score of 4855 pts was annulled due to doping.
  • Anastasiya Mokhnyuk of Ukraine's score of 4847 pts was annulled due to doping.

World record progression

AthleteCountryPointsEvent resultsPlaceDate
Sabine JohnGDR47688.16 s, 1.74 m, 14.76 m, 6.61 m, 2:15.63Moscow, Soviet Union15 February 1985
Irina BelovaRUS49918.22 s, 1.93 m, 13.25 m, 6.67 m, 2:10.26Berlin, Germany15 February 1992
Nataliya DobrynskaUKR50138.38 s, 1.84 m, 16.51 m, 6.57 m, 2:11.15Istanbul, Turkey9 March 2012
Adrianna SułekPOL50148.21 s, 1.89 m, 13.89 m, 6.62 m, 2:07.17Istanbul, Turkey3 March 2023
Nafissatou ThiamBEL50558.23 s, 1.92 m, 15.54 m, 6.59 m, 2:13.60Istanbul, Turkey3 March 2023

World records (WR) compared to Pentathlon Bests (PB)

EventTypeAthleteRecordScoreDifference in points scoredRef60 m hurdlesHigh jumpShot putLong jump800 mTotalWorld record6407Pentathlon bests5774−633
WRDevynne Charlton7.65 s1212
PBJessica Ennis7.91 s1150−62
WRKajsa Bergqvist2.08 m1345
PBTia Hellebaut1.99 m1224−121
WRHelena Fibingerová22.50 m1369
PBEva Wilms20.27 m1217−152
WRHeike Drechsler7.37 m1299
PBKatarina Johnson-Thompson6.89 m1135−164
WRJolanda Čeplak1:55.82 min:s1182
PBEster Goossens2:04.42 min:s1048−134

Olympic medalists

World Indoor Championships medalists

2025 Nanjing
Saga VanninenKate O'ConnorTaliyah Brooks

Season's bests

YearScoreAthletePlace
20134,851Ekaterina BolshovaVolgograd
20144,830Nadine BroersenSopot
20155,000Katarina Johnson-ThompsonPrague
20164,881Brianne Theisen-EatonPortland
20174,870Nafissatou ThiamBelgrade
20184,760Erica BougardAlbuquerque
20194,983Katarina Johnson-ThompsonGlasgow
20204,629Noor VidtsLouvain-la-Neuve
20214,904Nafissatou ThiamToruń
20224,929Noor VidtsBelgrade
20235,055Nafissatou ThiamIstanbul
20244,773Noor VidtsGlasgow
20254,922Saga VanninenApeldoorn

Contemporary outdoor pentathlon

As well as indoor events at all levels, outdoor pentathlon is still common in high school athletics. It is simply a smaller version of the decathlon or a heptathlon. For girls, it is 100 m high hurdles, long jump, shot put, high jump, and an 800 m run. The pentathlon is used because it is less stressful on the athletes than a full multi and because many high school meets only last one day, it allows the event to be contested in the time limit.

References

References

  1. "USATF - Statistics - Calculators - Combined Events Scoring".
  2. (21 November 1977). "PLAINLY, JANE HAS A PENCHANT FOR THE PENTATHLON".
  3. (30 June 1980). "THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF THE TRIALS".
  4. "Combined Events". usatfmasters.org.
  5. Matthews, Peter. (2012). "Historical Dictionary of Track and Field". Scarecrow Press.
  6. "World Records". IAAF.
  7. Nonna, Michael. "Women, Pentathlon > World Records Progression". Brinkster.
  8. "Pentathlon – women – senior – indoor". IAAF.
  9. (3 March 2023). "Pentathlon Results".
  10. (February 17, 2023). "Hall goes No.2 all time with 5004-point pentathlon in Albuquerque".
  11. (18 March 2022). "Pentathlon Results". World Athletics.
  12. (9 March 2025). "Schilder shines with 20.69m to win shot put in Apeldoorn".
  13. (9 March 2025). "Schilder shines with 20.69m to win shot put in Apeldoorn".
  14. (9 March 2025). "Schilder shines with 20.69m to win shot put in Apeldoorn".
  15. (9 March 2012). "60 Metres Hurdles Results". [[IAAF]].
  16. (6 March 2015). "Pentathlon Results". [[European Athletics.
  17. "800 Metres Points | IAAF World Indoor Championships".
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