# Modern pentathlon at the 1948 Summer Olympics

At the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, a single modern pentathlon event was contested. The event was held at the Aldershot Lido outdoor pool in Hampshire.

## Competition format

The modern pentathlon consisted of five events. The competition used a point-for-place system, with the lowest total across the five events winning.
* Riding: a show jumping competition. Riders started with 100 points and could lose points either through obstacle faults or going over the 10-minute time limit. Negative scores were possible. Ties were broken by the specific time taken, with the quicker rider winning.
* Fencing: a round-robin, one-touch épée competition. Score was based on number of bouts won.
* Shooting: a rapid fire pistol competition, with 20 shots (each scoring up to 10 points) per competitor.
* Swimming: a 300 m freestyle swimming competition.
* Running: a 4 km race.

## Participating nations

45 athletes from 16 nations competed at the London Games:
* Argentina (3)
* Belgium (3)
* Brazil (3)
* Chile (2)
* Czechoslovakia (2)
* Finland (3)
* France (3)
* Great Britain (3)
* Hungary (3)
* Italy (3)
* Mexico (2)
* Spain (3)
* Sweden (3)
* Switzerland (3)
* United States (3)
* Uruguay (3)

## Results

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Riding | Riding | Riding | Riding | Riding | Fencing | Fencing | Shooting | Shooting | Shooting | Swimming | Swimming | Running | Running | Total |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Time faults | Obstacle faults | Score | Place | Wins | Place | Hits | Score | Place | Time | Place | Time | Place | Total |
| | Willie Grut | Sweden | 9:18.2 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 1 | 28 | 1 | 20 | 190 | 5 | 4:17 | 1 | 15:28.9 | 8 | 16 |
| | George Moore | United States | 9:22.7 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 2 | 26 | 3 | 20 | 183 | 21 | 5:09.2 | 17 | 15:07.5 | 4 | 47 |
| | Gösta Gärdin | Sweden | 9:42.6 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 6 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 188 | 10 | 4:43.1 | 11 | 15:08.7 | 5 | 49 |
| 4 | Lauri Vilkko | Finland | 9:55.2 | 0 | 8 | 92 | 17 | 13 | 38 | 20 | 190 | 4 | 4:24.0 | 3 | 14:21.9 | 2 | 64 |
| 5 | Olavi Larkas | Finland | 10:31.7 | 16 | 3 | 81 | 26 | 26 | 3 | 20 | 190 | 7 | 5:11.7 | 19 | 15:48.7 | 16 | 71 |
| 6 | Bruno Riem | Switzerland | 10:16.1 | 8.5 | 0 | 91.5 | 19 | 22 | 9 | 20 | 194 | 1 | 6:24.2 | 36 | 15:34.9 | 9 | 74 |
| 7 | Franz Hegner | Switzerland | 9:46.4 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 7 | 24 | 6 | 20 | 181 | 24 | 4:53.4 | 13 | 16:32.5 | 29 | 79 |
| 8 | Richard Gruenther | United States | 10:25.0 | 12.5 | 0 | 87.5 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 20 | 183 | 13 | 4:45.2 | 12 | 16:04.7 | 19 | 81 |
| 9 | Nilo Floody | Chile | 9:54.9 | 0 | 3 | 97 | 11 | 23 | 7 | 20 | 183 | 20 | 5:31.0 | 30 | 15:55.0 | 17 | 85 |
| 10 | Viktor Platan | Finland | 9:32.2 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 4 | 16 | 28 | 17 | 141 | 44 | 4:38.9 | 7 | 14:24.6 | 3 | 86 |
| 11 | Enrique Wirth | Argentina | 9:54.9 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 9 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 177 | 29 | 5:22.2 | 25 | 15:46.6 | 13 | 93 |
| 12 | Frigyes Hegedűs | Hungary | DQ | — | — | — | 45 | 20 | 13 | 20 | 193 | 3 | 5:20.2 | 24 | 15:39.2 | 10 | 95 |
| 13 | Hale Baugh | United States | 9:52.0 | 0 | 3 | 97 | 0 | 22 | 9 | 20 | 178 | 28 | 4:41.0 | 9 | 18:25.4 | 40 | 96 |
| 14 | André Lacroix | France | 10:26.8 | 13.5 | 9 | 77.5 | 27 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 185 | 18 | 5:28.8 | 29 | 15:13.7 | 6 | 97 |
| 15 | Giulio Palmonella | Italy | 10:09.6 | 5 | 0 | 95 | 14 | 17 | 26 | 20 | 187 | 15 | 5:12.5 | 21 | 16:11.2 | 22 | 98 |
| 16 | Louis Pichon | France | 12:13.0 | 66.5 | 8 | 25.5 | 36 | 25 | 5 | 20 | 188 | 9 | 5:40.0 | 32 | 15:57.0 | 18 | 100 |
| 17 | Sune Wehlin | Sweden | 11:09.9 | 35 | 14 | 51 | 31 | 14 | 34 | 20 | 183 | 22 | 4:53.5 | 14 | 14:09.9 | 1 | 102 |
| 18 | István Szondy | Hungary | 10:59.0 | 29.5 | 0 | 70.5 | 28 | 6 | 44 | 20 | 188 | 11 | 4:21.1 | 2 | 16:10.7 | 20 | 105 |
| 19 | Roberto Curcio | Italy | 10:21.5 | 11 | 0 | 89 | 22 | 23 | 7 | 20 | 188 | 14 | 5:23.5 | 26 | 17:09.0 | 36 | 105 |
| 20 | Andy Martin | Great Britain | 10:07.3 | 4 | 0 | 96 | 12 | 15 | 31 | 20 | 182 | 23 | 5:33.4 | 31 | 15:40.7 | 11 | 108 |
| 21 | Augusto Premoli | Argentina | 9:42.3 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 5 | 21 | 11 | 19 | 169 | 35 | 5:41.8 | 33 | 16:23.1 | 25 | 109 |
| 22 | Alberto Moreiras | Spain | 10:23.5 | 12 | 0 | 88 | 23 | 15 | 31 | 20 | 183 | 19 | 4:29.0 | 5 | 16:58.9 | 34 | 112 |
| 23 | José Luis Riera | Spain | 10:03.3 | 2 | 6 | 92 | 18 | 18 | 24 | 17 | 149 | 42 | 4:25.7 | 4 | 16:27.4 | 26 | 114 |
| 24 | Hernán Fuentes | Chile | 16:13.2 | 187 | 312 | -399 | 43 | 20 | 13 | 20 | 190 | 6 | 5:19.8 | 23 | 16:49.8 | 32 | 117 |
| 25 | Duilio Brignetti | Italy | 13:28.1 | 104.5 | 25 | -29.5 | 38 | 14 | 34 | 20 | 183 | 12 | 4:33.0 | 6 | 16:32.2 | 28 | 118 |
| 26 | Alberto Ortíz | Uruguay | 10:13.0 | 6.5 | 3 | 90.5 | 20 | 11 | 41 | 20 | 186 | 17 | 5:43.9 | 34 | 15:22.5 | 7 | 119 |
| 27 | Werner Schmid | Switzerland | 14:57.4 | 149 | 103 | -152 | 42 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 193 | 2 | 5:27.0 | 28 | 16:42.0 | 30 | 119 |
| 28 | Christian Palant | France | 13:16.0 | 98 | 61 | -59 | 40 | 18 | 24 | 20 | 190 | 8 | 5:08.6 | 16 | 16:48.6 | 31 | 119 |
| 29 | Karel Bártů | Czechoslovakia | 11:35.3 | 48 | 0 | 52 | 30 | 13 | 38 | 20 | 179 | 27 | 4:58.5 | 15 | 15:47.8 | 14 | 124 |
| 30 | Aëcio Coelho | Brazil | 9:26.1 | 0 | 6 | 94 | 15 | 28 | 1 | 19 | 172 | 33 | 6:47.4 | 39 | 17:34.1 | 37 | 125 |
| 31 | Carlos Mercader | Uruguay | 9:44.4 | 0 | 8 | 92 | 16 | 16 | 28 | 19 | 171 | 34 | 5:56.8 | 35 | 15:44.0 | 12 | 125 |
| 32 | Horacio Siburu | Argentina | 10:03.9 | 2 | 3 | 95 | 13 | 16 | 28 | 20 | 177 | 30 | 5:10.4 | 18 | 17:39.0 | 38 | 127 |
| 33 | Alejandro Quiroz | Mexico | 11:18.3 | 39.5 | 0 | 60.5 | 29 | 15 | 31 | 20 | 186 | 16 | 5:26.2 | 27 | 16:31.7 | 27 | 130 |
| 34 | Jack Lumsden | Great Britain | 9:29.0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 3 | 14 | 34 | 19 | 167 | 37 | 6:31.3 | 38 | 16:10.7 | 20 | 132 |
| 35 | Ricardo García | Mexico | 9:49.8 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 8 | 12 | 40 | 17 | 148 | 43 | 4:42.4 | 10 | 16:50.7 | 33 | 134 |
| 36 | Manuel Bernabeu | Spain | 14:00.0 | 121.5 | 106 | -127.5 | 41 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 162 | 39 | 5:12.3 | 20 | 16:21.7 | 24 | 141 |
| 37 | Geoffrey Brooke | Great Britain | 13:42.8 | 111.5 | 32 | -43.5 | 39 | 20 | 13 | 18 | 153 | 41 | 6:29.6 | 37 | 15:48.4 | 15 | 145 |
| 38 | Aloysio Borges | Brazil | 11:15.4 | 38 | 17 | 45 | 33 | 17 | 26 | 19 | 167 | 36 | 4:40.3 | 8 | DQ | 43 | 146 |
| 39 | Otto Jemelka | Czechoslovakia | 10:10.5 | 5.5 | 9 | 85.5 | 25 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 173 | 31 | 7:18.2 | 42 | 17:03.3 | 35 | 150 |
| 40 | Louis Fauconnier | Belgium | 11:35.2 | 48 | 6 | 46 | 32 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 179 | 26 | 7:11.1 | 41 | 18:03.3 | 39 | 155 |
| 41 | Charles Vyt | Belgium | 10:03.9 | 2 | 8 | 90 | 21 | 14 | 34 | 19 | 165 | 38 | 7:05.8 | 40 | 16:17.2 | 23 | 156 |
| 42 | Ruben Orozco | Uruguay | 12:09.6 | 65 | 6 | 29 | 35 | 11 | 41 | 20 | 181 | 25 | 5:15.8 | 22 | 19:49.9 | 41 | 164 |
| 43 | Humberto Bedford | Brazil | 12:33.4 | 77 | 8 | 15 | 37 | 8 | 43 | 18 | 166 | 40 | 7:27.7 | 43 | 19:51.7 | 42 | 205 |
| 44 | Raoul Mollet | Belgium | 11:42.7 | 51.5 | 8 | 40.5 | 34 | DNS | — | DNS | — | — | DNS | — | DNS | — | — |
| 45 | László Karácson | Hungary | DQ | — | — | — | 45 | 21 | 11 | 19 | 173 | 32 | DNS | — | DNS | — | — |