A young French cavalry officer of the 19th century was sent on horseback to deliver a message. He rode across the uneven terrain, through enemy lines, and was confronted by a soldier with his sword drawn. Challenged to a duel, the officer won, only to have his horse shot out from under him by another enemy soldier. After felling that soldier with a single shot, the officer ran on. He swam across a raging river, and then finally he delivered the message. So, legend has it, was born the modern pentathlon.

19世纪，一名年轻的法国骑兵军官受命飞骑传信。他踏破险阻，穿越敌阵，迎面遭遇一名挥舞利剑的敌兵。二人比剑决斗，军官获胜，但他跨下的坐骑却被另一名敌兵射杀。军官一枪击毙敌兵，徒步继续向前跑去。他泅渡过急流，终于将消息送到目的地。这就是传说中现代五项全能运动的起源。

The brainchild of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, the event was based upon the unlucky officer and introduced into the Stockholm Games of 1912. Only remotely resembling the ancient pentathlon inspired by the warmongering Spartans, modern pentathletes shoot, fence, swim, compete in show jumping and run - five events testing endurance as well as athletic versatility.

实际上，现代五项是由现代奥运会的创始人顾拜旦根据那位历尽磨难的法国军官的传说创立的，并成为1912年斯德哥尔摩奥运会的比赛项目。现代五项与好战的斯巴达人的古代五项全能不大相同，它包括射击、击剑、游泳、马术和越野跑。这五项比赛考察的是运动员的耐力和综合素质。