Weather, curiosity brings crowds out to Modern Pentathlon events in Sarasota
UNIVERSITY PARK -- The finals of the men's 2015 Modern Pentathlon World Cup I competition brought out a strong crowd of spectators Saturday to the Selby Aquatic Center and Nathan Benderson Park, both in Sarasota.
A group of 36 athletes from the United States and nations around the world competed in a variety of sporting events to earn performance points that will count toward qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Winning the men's finals with a combined score 1,427 points was James Cooke of Great Britain, followed by Russians Egor Puchkarevskiy with 1,421 points and Ilia Frolov with 1,416 points.
"These are the highest-level athletes to date. Some of them have been competing for four to eight years and they are the elite of our sport. We even have great athletes here who are former Olympians, now training and coaching for our pentathlon family," said Klaus Schormann, president of the International Federation of Modern Pentathlon.
The Sarasota-Bradenton area is once again hosting the World Cup games following a successful 2014 final World Cup held last June at the Sarasota Polo Club in Lakewood Ranch. This is the first of four World Cup events to be held in four con
tinents this year where athletes can compete on their road to Rio. For local organizing committee chairwoman Katherine Harris, Saturday was validation for the work her team and a host of community volunteers have contributed.
"Our community has been elevated in the Olympic eyes such that, now we have an opportunity to host many more world-class events, especially the World Cup, so we are thrilled," she said while greeting guests and dignitaries in the VIP tent.
The Olympic pentathlon sport dates back to 776 B.C. and the ancient Games in Athens, Greece. The Modern Pentathlon comprises the events of fencing, 200-meter freestyle swimming, horse show jumping, and a combined pistol shooting and 3,200-meter cross-country run.
Joined by their coaches and visiting dignitaries, the pentathletes took part in a morning and afternoon fencing followed by a 200-meter freestyle swimming competition. Modern Pentathlon fencing is a series of one-touch bouts with épée swords, and is a round-robin tournament with a single touch deciding each match.
Afterward, the athletes engaged in an equestrian competition which required them to choose a horse drawn at random. After finishing the first three disciplines, they ended the day with a 3,200-meter run followed by the laser pistol shoot.
American pentathlete Dennis Bowsher, 31, started training for the sport in 2003. Currently serving in the U.S. Army, Bowsher is training at altitude in the American Olympic Village in Colorado Springs, Colo., and said consistency is the key to becoming a complete athlete.
"My specialty is I'm OK in everything. There's a lot of guys who have super-strong swim, but they lack something else, or they're really strong runners. I may not win an event, but I'll be solid across the board. That's what I hope for."
Former two-time Russian Olympian Audrey Moiseev, who now coaches both the men and women's Modern Pentathlon World Cup teams for Russia, pointed to emotional stamina as key to becoming a champion.
"Its a multi-sport and it's very important to be able to switch from one event to another," he said through an interpreter. "You have to switch and be absolutely fresh and prepared mentally as well."
Saturday's men's World Cup final ended with a night of celebration for athletes at the Big Top Brewing Co., and a gala for dignitaries at the Charles Ringling mansion in Sarasota.
Sunday's Modern Pentathlon events will feature men and women's combined finals in fencing, swimming, equestrian and the run/shoot competitions, followed by a closing ceremony.
Besides sports, spectators can enjoy entertainment, food and beverages, pony rides and games for children.
Young Timothe Kuster, 10 of Sarasota, practicing laser pistol-shooting with a friend at an interactive Pentathlon tent, said he had met the entire French delegation said he was a fan of the ladies.
"I think the girls are intense. It's almost better watching them compete than the men," he said. "It's more competitive to me."
Next year, Sarasota-Bradenton will again host the Modern Pentathlon World Cup event.
Kathryn Moschella, Lakewood Ranch reporter can be reached at 941-745-7010. Follow her on Twitter @MoschellaHerald
This story was originally published February 22, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Weather, curiosity brings crowds out to Modern Pentathlon events in Sarasota ."