The most common injuries in modern penthalon
Modern pentathlon is an Olympic sport that comprises 5 different events; fencing (one-touch épée), freestyle swimming (200m), equestrian (15 jumps), and a final combined event of pistol shooting and cross country running (3200m).
Modern Penthalon is inspired by the traditional pentathlon held during the ancient Olympics; as the original events were patterned on the skills needed by an ideal Greek soldier of the era. The modern pentathlon is similarly patterned on events representing the skills needed by cavalry behind enemy lines
With such a variety of sports and physical demands for the body, the total load on an athlete is high.
Overuse injuries are common to deal with. Specifically overuse injuries to the shoulder, back, groin and knee.
Of acute injuries, ankles sprains from running on uneven ground, shoulder and head injuries from falling off the horse can happen.
Common injuries
- Back pain
- Shoulder pain/impingement of the rotator cuff
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome
- Ankle sprain
- Concussion