Within a span of six grueling hours, American Nathan Schrimsher competed against 35 other strong international athletes during timed lap swimming, followed by a bonus round in fencing (held outdoors), then jumping with randomly assigned horses, and finally a combination of running and shooting. The historical premise of the Modern Pentathlon is to demonstrate that a well-conditioned soldier, being chased by the enemy, can travel fast cross-country, surpassing all obstacles: such as jumping over a creek bed on a horse, and defending himself using a sword and a handgun, and finally arrive at his destination to deliver a classified message to his commander.
In our new age of fast digitized messages, it is good to see the heritage continue – athletic dedication to military values combined with perseverance of rigorous daily training on five sports that are all different in their physical and mental demands. The mutual admiration and support of two American brothers, Nathan and Lucas, who train each day together only adds to the good feeling of comradery.
For Nathan’s 2016 Olympics experience, he scored within the top ten during the fencing and swimming venues. His final 1450 points were razor thin when compared to the other top athletes – only 29 points difference with the Gold Medalist from Russia. Nathan came in the top third bracket (11th place), which is an amazing accomplishment – and also for his brother, Lucas too.
READ MORE about the results.
*In the Above Photo: Nathan Schrimsher (l) and brother, Lucas Schrimsher, both USA Modern Pentathletes