• The Modern Pentathlon includes fencing, swimming, equestrian, running and shooting events.
• Kate French and Michelle Gulyas have +400 odds to win the women’s event.
• Joe Choong and Adam Marosi are the favorites to win the men’s side of the Modern Pentathlon.

TOKYO - The Modern Pentathlon is an event that many are not familiar with, but it’s a unique and intriguing Olympic fixture. First performed at the 1912 Olympics, the Modern Pentathlon was an attempt to update the Pentathlon to the era of the time.

As the original Pentathlon was based on the skills needed to perform as an excellent soldier in antiquity, the modern Pentathlon is built around the skills needed to perform as an excellent soldier in the early 20th century.

Thus, the events it features are epee fencing, freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, cross country running and pistol shooting.

Tokyo Olympics 2021 Odds - Women’s Modern Pentathlon

• Kate French +400
• Michelle Gulyas +400
• Anastasiya Prokopenko +500
• Laura Asadauskaite +600
• Joanna Muir +700
• Elena Micheli +900
• Elodie Clouvel +900
• Annika Schleu +1000
• Marie Oteiza +1000
• Volha Silkina +2500

The field for the Women’s Modern Pentathlon is fairly open, with only one competitor having odds longer than +1000.

Kate French, of the United Kingdom, leads the odds boards alongside Michelle Gulyas. French is a decorated competitor, who won gold at the 2013 Modern Pentathlon championships, but fell short at the 2016 Olympics, finishing fifth.

Gulyas, on the other hand, was the upset victor of the UIPM World Cup. The Hungarian claimed this honor in April 2021, and seems to be in fine form coming into this competition.

Gulyas enters this event ranked as the best competitor at the Games by UIPM, with French just behind her.

An interesting diversion occurs here, however, with UIPM giving Annika Schleu the third spot on their rankings, while the online sportsbooks have her near the bottom of the odds boards.

Schleu finished sixth place in 2012 and fourth place in 2016, and this could be her chance to finally win an Olympic medal in Modern Pentathlon.

Tokyo Olympics 2021 - Men’s Modern Pentathlon

• Joseph Choong +400
• Adam Marosi +500
• Valentin Prades +500
• Woongtae Jun +500
• Valentin Belaud +700
• Alexander Lifanov +1000
• Pavlo Tymoschenko +1000
• Shuai Luo +1000
• Ahmed Elgendy +1500
• Ilya Palazkov +1500
• James Cooke +1500

The men’s Modern Pentathlon odds boards resemble the women’s odds boards in that they both have significantly open fields.

At the top of the Men’s field is Joe Choong of the United Kingdom, who finished 10th in the 2016 Olympics. Choong won a gold medal at the 2019 European Championships, and a silver at the 2018 World Championships - but both were as part of the team event.

At the 2021 World Cup, Choong struck gold, winning the Modern Pentathlon and cementing himself as a favorite on the online sportsbooks.

Another favorite of Olympic betting fans in the men’s field is Adam Marosi. Marosi is a dedicated competitor and is ranked first by UIPM. At the 2021 World Championships in Cairo, Marosi took home the gold medal in the Individual Modern Pentathlon and then helped Hungary win gold in the team event as well.

It’s going to be a battle between the young up-and-comer Choong and the weathered veteran Marosi for Olympic gold in the Modern Pentathlon!