MPC South
The Modern Pentathlon Club of the South
The Modern Pentathlon Club of the South (MPCS), headquartered in Atlanta, GA is dedicated to promoting the Summer Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon. The sport consists of five different events all combined into a one or two day competition. The sports include the following Olympic competitions:
| Sport | Event | Description | |
| Shooting | 10 Meter Air Pistol | 20 shots at a target. Shots are "called" with 40 seconds per shot. | |
| Fencing | Epee Fencing | Round robin of "one touch (point)" bouts. | |
| Swimming | 100 or 200 Meter Freestyle | In pool (25 or 50 m) in lanes. | |
| Riding | Equestrian Show Jumping | Draw for horses; 20 minute warm up over a max. of 5 jumps; 350-450 meter course with 10-12 jumps ranging in height from .9 to 1.2 meters (one triple and a double). | |
| Running | 2 or 3 Kilometer Cross-Country Run | Chase start with the leader being the competitor with the highest score total after four events. Time handicap according to competitor's score. Finish place determines overall modern pentathlon finish. | |



For a more detailed description of each sport in Modern Pentathlon, please click on the following link for a slide show provided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Modern Pentathlon Event Details in conjunction with NBC. You can also go to the "Inside this Sport" section of NBC's Olympics web site and click on a number of topics (basics, scoring, history, venues, field, etc.) in the middle right hand side of your screen.
We are in the early planning stages for a weekend (one or two days) "Introduction to Modern Pentathlon" camp for youngsters and their parents to be held in the Fall of 2008. Please give us your ideas on this via the "Contact Us" link at the top of the page.
For more on the Modern Pentathlon, click on Modern Pentathlon an Undervalued Olympic Sport. For a woman's view of the truest of Olympic sports, check out this YouTube Video. For a video of the events of the Modern Pentathlon, click here for a YouTube video.
See the exciting recap of the Women's Olympic Modern Pentathlon on the NBC Olympics Women's Modern Pentathlon Recap web link.
US Olympian Sam Sacksen kept a diary in Beijing. Click here to read his recap of the competition.
Beijing, China (Aug. 10) Americans Jason Turner and Brian Beaman make the final of the men's 10 Meter Air Pistol. Click on the Men's 10m Air Pistol Final link to see the excellent video showing the exciting 10 shot final and the magnificent Olympic shooting venue. Turner and Beamon were tied at the end of the shoot off. This led to another one-shot shoot off. 2004 Olympian Jason Turner (Rochester, N.Y.) was awarded a bronze medal in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol event after Kim Jong Su from North Korea was disqualified for a positive drug test. Click on the link above to see this exciting finish.
USA, (July 1, 2008) USA Pentathlon announced the following Modern Pentathlon team to represent the U.S. at the Summer Olympics in Beijing:
Men: Sam Sacksen of Somerset, PA & Eli Bremer of Monument, CO
Women: Margaux Isaksen of Fayetteville, AR & Shelia Taormina of Livonia, MI
Both of the women on the U.S. team are making Olympic history. At 16 years of age, Isaksen will be the youngest woman ever to compete for the U.S. in the Modern Pentathlon at the Olympics and the second youngest woman in history to compete in this event at the Olympics. She got her Modern Pentathlon start in fencing. Check out Isaksen's web site at Gauxgirl. Taormina made history as the first female athlete to compete in three different Olympic sports (Swimming - gold medal in 1996, triathlon in 2000 and 2004, and Modern Pentathlon in 2008).
16 Year old Olympian Margaux Isaksen (L :Epee Fencing; R: 10 meter air pistol).
One
of the big stories of the Games for Modern Pentathlon is 39 year old American Sheila
Taormina who will make her fourth Olympic appearance. But this will be an
Olympic record third different sport for Taormina. She won a medal in swimming in 1996,
participated in triathlon in 2000 and 2004, and now has qualified for Modern
Pent in 2008. Read about Taormina's Olympic performance at
NBCOlympics MP Taormina,
as she set an Olympic record time in winning the swim (200m freestyle).
In Beijing,
Taormina (L aboard LiangLiang in the 2008 Olympic Modern Pentathlon ride) also
tied for first in the ride with a perfect score of 1200 points and turned what
started out as a tough day into a good one. This proves what a tough
competitor Taormina is. To read more about Taormina's Olympic performance
click on the
USOC's
Taormina Finds Satisfaction in the Struggle article.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Canadian National Modern Pentathlon Championships (August 4-5, 2007) - MPCS member George Sanderlin brought home the bronze medal for the United States in the Men's Masters Category in his first full modern pentathlon (including the ride) ever. See "Press" section below for more on the Canadian Championships.
Griffin, GA, Georgia Games 10 Meter Air Pistol Championship (July 7, 2007) - MPCS member Sanderlin won the gold medal for the second consecutive year by capturing the age group Georgia Games title in the Men's 10 Meter Air Pistol competition which is an Olympic event.
Shooting for a Cure - MPCS member Sanderlin to lead "Shooting for a Cure" benefit at USA Shooting Nationals as a fund raiser for the Prostate Cancer Foundation June 21-22, 2007. George's fundraising goal is $300. He will be shooting in the 10 meter air pistol division which is conducted over two days with 60 shots each day. A perfect score for a day is 600 (all "10's). Last year at Nationals, George shot a two day total of 917. At the Southeast US Invitational (US World Cup team selection match), George improved his two day total score to 985 (500 / 485). Please support MPC South member Sanderlin as he "Shoots for a Cure" for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Please go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation's web site, click on "Donate" then enter the First Name: "George" and the Last Name: "Sanderlin" or go directly to George's PCF Donation Page. On George's behalf, MPC South thanks you for your generosity. Stay tuned for updates on donation totals and the competition.
SHOOTING FOR A CURE UPDATES FROM FT. BENNING, GA AT THE USA SHOOTING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Ft. Benning, GA, USA Shooting National Championships (June 22, 2007) - "Shooting for a Cure" finished with $500 raised for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, well above the goal of $300. MPCS member Sanderlin completed the competition with a second day score of 477, not a good as the previous day total. This gave George 979 total points good for a ranking of 61st in the United States. Thanks to everyone who supported the "Shooting for a Cure" Campaign.
Ft. Benning, GA, USA Shooting National Championships (June 21, 2007) - MPCS member Sanderlin started off his "Shooting For A Cure" campaign for the Prostate Cancer Foundation in fine fashion scoring a 502 first day total (out of a possible 600 points). This was his second highest score ever in competition. The rounds of 10 shot scoring was as follows: 84, 86, 91, 76, 85, and 80. Sanderlin said, "My third round of 10 shots (shots 21-30) was great. Unfortunately, I stubled a bit on the next 10 by shooting a 3 versus the 8's, 9's, and 10's I had been shooting. I'm just thankful to everyone who supported me and the Prostate Cancer Foundation in this endeavor." Sanderlin will finish the competition on 6/22 in the early relay.
Ft. Benning, GA, USA Shooting National Championships (June 20, 2007) - Over 50 contestants registered for the 10 Meter Air Pistol event for Men. Contestants were free to take their 55 minute Official Training Round (OTR) on Wednesday, if they so chose. MPCS member George Sanderlin started his "Shooting For A Cure" campaign to raise money and awareness for the Prostate Cancer Foundation with 36 shots in the OTR. His total score for the first 30 shots was 266 out of a possible 300 for an 88.7%. His 36th and final practice shot was a 10.9, a perfect bulls eye. Sanderlin said, "I was shooting very well today. I had to stop with the 10.9, it doesn't get any better than that. I just need to keep this up during the competition." Sanderlin drew slots in both of the early relays (9:00 AM) for the competition on 6/21 and 6/22.
Results from 2006 Canada National Modern Pentathlon Championships
So you want to be an Olympian, try the Modern Pentathlon. Click on this link to see what it's like to participate in a pentathlon.
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MPCS CONTACT: Executive Director - George Sanderlin georgesand@aol.com Click here for a profile of the Executive Director
CALENDAR OF COMPETITIONS (check link for more details):
| Date | Event | Venue | Time | Click Link For Details |
| 6/7/08 | Atlanta Track Club - Classic | Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA | 8:30 AM | ATC Classic |
| 6/14 - 6/15/08 | Junior National Modern Pentathlon Championships | Ligonier, PA | TBA | Junior Nationals |
| 6/27 - 6/28/08 | Youth (A 17-18; B 15-16 & C 14 & Under) National Modern Pentathlon Championships | New Mexico Military Institute, Roswell, NM | TBA | Youth Nationals |
| 6/30 - 7/2/08 | USA Shooting - National Championships (Air Pistol) | Ft. Benning, Columbus, GA | 8:30 AM | USA Shooting Nationals |
| 7/6 - 7/11/08 | World Junior Championships | Cairo, Egypt |
![]() Results(W) Results(M) |
|
| 7/20/08 | Georgia Games (Athletics) | Marietta H.S., Marietta, GA | 9:00 AM | GA Games - Athletics |
| 7/20/08 | Georgia Games (Equestrian - Stadium Show Jumping) | Big Bear Farm, Pine Mountain, GA | TBA | GA Games - Equestrian |
| 8/1 - 8/3/08 | Southeast Sports Festival (Athletics) | Tallahassee, FL | SE Sports Festival | |
| 8/7 - 8/10/08 | USATF National Masters Championships | Spokane Falls Community College, Spokane, WA | TBA | USATF National Masters |
| 8/21/08 (M)8/22/08 (W) | 2008 Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 8:30AM - 8:40 PM |
![]() Results(W) Results(M) |
| 8/28 - 8/31/08 | Pan Am Games - Masters | Clermont, FL | TBA | Pan AM Games |
| 9/18 - 9/21/08 | World Youth Championships | Albena, Bulgaria | TBA | |
| 9/10 - 9/14/08 | World Modern Pentathlon Masters Championships | Drzonkow, Ukraine | TBA |
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Shooting: North Georgia International Shooting Club , Georgia Competitive Shooters
Fencing: Fencing Star Academy; Dunwoody Fencing Club
Swimming: Total Immersion
Riding: Cooper Sandy Farm
Running: Coach Benson's Running Limited; Atlanta Track Club
If you or your child are interested in learning more about trying the exciting first true multi-sport of the Olympic Games, please send us an email. We will contact you and conduct a free evaluation. As a result, this could include an in-depth introduction to the sport, and potentially a preliminary training plan. Click here to see how the Modern Pentathlon made an Olympic dream come true for 16 year old Margaux Isaksen.
Related
Sites & Supporters:
Modern Pentathlon:
NBC - Summer Olympics Modern Pentathlon - The Road to Beijing
International Olympic Committee - Modern Pentathlon
Canada Modern Pentathlon Association
Ontario Modern Pentathlon Association
Shooting:
Fencing:
Swimming:
Equestrian:
Running:
Masters Sports:
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2007 Canadian Modern Pentathlon Championships - Calgary, Alberta (Click on links in table below)
USA Shooting Nationals (June 2007)
USA Shooting Nationals (June 2006)
USAF (Fencing Nationals - July 2006)
Canada Modern Pentathlon Championships (July 2006)
Masters Set Marks at World Modern Pentathlon Championships - September 22, 2006 . To see the online article from Swimming World magazine click here.
Picture in USA Shooting magazine of MPCS member at Canada Nationals for Modern Pentathlon.
An article on MPCS Executive Director George Sanderlin appeared in the January 2006 edition of the Atlanta Sports and Fitness magazine. Click here to download the pdf article.
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Last updated: 09/04/08