History of Modern Pentathlon:

At the time of the Plays of ' Antiquity, Pentathlon (disc, javelin, race, long jump, fight or sometimes pancrace or box) constituted one of the Olympic tests most famous.

Like his Masters of antiquity, Greek, Pierre de Coubertin, the renovating one of the Olympic Games, recommended a system of physical education general opposite A any specialization. Since 1894, it endeavours to introduce into the program of the Modern Plays new a pentathlon adapted, obviously has its design of the sport.

To render comprehensible the logic of the choice of the five sports suggested Coubertin liked itself has to quote the adventure of a liaison officer whose horse, cut down in enemy territory, obliges it has to defend itself with its sword to protect itself with its gun, to cross a river to the stroke before carrying out the last part of its path while running.

Its project, pushed back a long time, was accepted only in 1909 by its pars of the Olympic International Committee.

" This time " writes it in its memories, " the grace of the sporting Holy Spirit lit my colleagues and they accepted a test to which I attached a great value because Pentathlon Moderne is a true sacrament of the complete athlete ". He specifies in the Olympic review of 1911 " Pentathlon is certainly intended has to play a great role, perhaps even ... to become the dominant test of Olympiades future. The man able to present himself to it, so even it does not leave there victorious, is a true athlete, a complete athlete. There is no doubt that the ambition of young people is not tried by such a program.

In a conference which it holds in 1967 with the International Academy of Olympie, Peter Wilhem Henze, Honorary president of the National Federation of Pentathlon Moderne of the Federal Republic of Germany, evoke the long discussions of 1911 whose was the object the regulation of Pentathlon Moderne.

The Swedes, who had already introduced into their army the test suggested by the Baron de Coubertin, propose a payment according to which the competitor must bring its own horse. Coubertin requires that the horses be provided by the Steering Committee and are drawn lots at the last time.

It is explained some in these terms " the Swedish design is primarily aristocratic and is addressed to officers and to amateur jockeys. Swimmers and gunners, they are it still rather readily but, for an officer of cavalry, for example, to run a pedestrian cross-country race is almost a forfeiture. It is most stupid there of the prejudices and one will know liking in Pentathlon to uproot it. On the other hand, a whole new category emerges.

It is accustomed athletic sports which attend rather readily the stand, the swimming pool, or the room of weapons but which, for the majority, never had horse with them and could assemble only rented horses. Horsemanship even lui' remains too often foreign. They is annoying and it is a state of affairs which must cease. The question of popular horsemanship is to be solved. Obviously it is not the payment of Pentathlon Moderne which will succeed there but a similar institution can help there much especially so finally the democratic design prevails. '

Thus Pentathlon Moderne must on the one hand make it possible to ensure a general-purpose training of the athlete and on the other hand, to democratize the sport. Despite everything, during about thirty years still, the soldiers remain the privileged participants about it.

Until 1948 the Olympic International Committee, by the intermediary of a special subcommittee, manages to him even Pentathlon Moderne.

However the extension of the practice of this sport is such as a need empty to multiply the international competitions throughout the olympiade appears.

With the occasion of the celebration of the XIV^2nd olympiade, a conference is taken place August 3, 1948 in Sand Hurst (G^of Brittany) and decides the creation of a " International Federation of Pentathlon Moderne " (F.I.P)

Fifteen federations constitute it (Belgium, Brésil, Chile, Spain, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, the USSR, the USA)

In order to avoid an unquestionable conflict with the international federations interested by each speciality of Modern Pentathlon, C.l.O. telegraphically ask the F.I.P. to adopt a different name than that of " Federation ".

The new organization accepts the request formulated by C.l.O. and takes the initials " U.l.P.M then. " International union of Modern Pentathlon. The first championships of the world of Pentathlon Moderne are organized the following year in Sweden.

Later, a biathlon of winter, combining the ski touring and the shooting, knows a rapid success as well in Scandinavia as in Austria and Germany.

In 1957, the UIPM is proclaimed responsible for the biathlon of winter whose first championships of the world take place the following year with Saafelden close to Salzburg (Austria). C.l.O.. agrees to include this new test in the program of the plays of winter organized in 1960 in Squaw Valley (the USA)

A " B " is then addition, in 1967 with initials " U.I.P.M. " to form the title of " International Union of Modern Pentathlon and Biathlon " (U.l.P.M.B.) At the time of the General Assembly of the UIPMB in October 1992... AMELIE the BATHS (France) the separation of the two sports is adopted. Pentathlon Moderne will remain under name U.I.P.M. and Biathlon becomes F.l.B. (International Federation of Biathlon). They however keep a common President under the " cap " U. I. P.M. B. ".