The modern pentathlon consisted of five events, with all five held in one day.[3]
Shooting: A 4.5 mm air pistol shooting (the athlete must hit 20 shots, one at each target). The score was based on the number of shots hitting at each target.
Fencing: A round-robin, one-touch épée competition. The score was based on winning percentage.
Swimming: A 200 m freestyle race. Score was based on time.
Horse-riding: A show jumping competition. The score based on penalties for fallen bars, refusals, falls, and being over the time limit.
Running: A 3 km run. The starts are staggered (based on points from first four events), so that the first to cross the finish line wins.