# Modern pentathlon at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's

At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, the men's individual modern pentathlon event was contested. It was the eighth appearance of the event, which had been featured at every Summer Olympics since 1912. The individual scores were also used for the men's team event.

## 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. The course was 5000 m long, with a time limit of 10 minutes, 32 seconds. Riders started with 100 points and could lose points either through obstacle faults or going over the 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, with double-touches used as a tie-breaker.
* 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.

## Results

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Riding | Riding | Riding | Riding | Riding | Fencing | Fencing | Fencing | Shooting | Shooting | Shooting | Swimming | Swimming | Running | Running | Total |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | T faults | O faults | Score | Place | Wins | Double touches | Place | Hits | Score | Place | Time | Place | Time | Place | Total |
| | Lars Hall | Sweden | 9.03.0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 1 | 28 | 8 | 7 | 20 | 182 | 15 | 4.05.4 | 1 | 15.08.4 | 8 | 32 |
| | Gábor Benedek | Hungary | 9.47.6 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 8 | 30 | 8 | 2 | 20 | 185 | 9 | 4.39.7 | 18 | 14.40.9 | 2 | 39 |
| | István Szondy | Hungary | 9.24.9 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 3 | 30 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 183 | 12 | 4.19.9 | 5 | 15.44.9 | 17 | 41 |
| 4 | Igor Novikov | Soviet Union | 10.41.0 | 4.5 | 0 | 95.5 | 24 | 25 | 8 | 13 | 20 | 187 | 4 | 4.16.9 | 4 | 15.11.6 | 10 | 55 |
| 5 | Ole Mannonen | Finland | 9.24.0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 2 | 19 | 3 | 37 | 20 | 184 | 10 | 4.29.0 | 9 | 14.44.7 | 4 | 62 |
| 6 | Frederick Denman | United States | 9.51.3 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 9 | 28 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 186 | 6 | 4.36.9 | 17 | 15.53.5 | 19 | 62 |
| 7 | Lauri Vilkko | Finland | 10.08.1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 11 | 18 | 10 | 38 | 20 | 196 | 1 | 4.27.6 | 8 | 14.45.9 | 5 | 63 |
| 8 | Thad McArthur | United States | 10.09.8 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 12 | 23 | 6 | 23 | 20 | 175 | 29 | 4.13.6 | 3 | 14.20.4 | 1 | 68 |
| 9 | Thorsten Lindqvist | Sweden | 9.30.8 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 4 | 29 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 165 | 42 | 4.25.5 | 7 | 15.42.0 | 16 | 75 |
| 10 | Eduardo de Medeiros | Brazil | 10.39.8 | 4 | 0 | 96 | 23 | 22 | 9 | 24 | 20 | 187 | 5 | 4.11.5 | 2 | 16.02.5 | 26 | 80 |
| 11 | Claes Egnell | Sweden | 10.18.6 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 14 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 183 | 13 | 4.54.3 | 23 | 16.04.9 | 29 | 82 |
| 12 | Aladár Kovácsi | Hungary | 10.01.1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 10 | 28 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 179 | 25 | 5.01.4 | 27 | 15.54.2 | 21 | 93 |
| 13 | Olavi Rokka | Finland | 9.54.2 | 0 | 8 | 92 | 26 | 24 | 10 | 19 | 20 | 181 | 19 | 4.31.8 | 11 | 15.53.8 | 20 | 95 |
| 14 | Guy Troy | United States | 9.34.3 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 6 | 25 | 2 | 17 | 20 | 185 | 8 | 5.10.9 | 34 | 16.19.1 | 30 | 95 |
| 15 | Leon Lumsdaine | Great Britain | 9.44.0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 7 | 25 | 5 | 14 | 20 | 180 | 23 | 4.36.4 | 16 | 16.30.4 | 36 | 96 |
| 16 | Luis Ribera | Argentina | 9.33.5 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 5 | 20 | 6 | 31 | 19 | 176 | 33 | 4.32.6 | 13 | 15.49.7 | 18 | 100 |
| 17 | Nilo Floody | Chile | 10.37.4 | 3 | 0 | 97 | 20 | 28 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 181 | 17 | 5.10.0 | 33 | 16.03.0 | 27 | 106 |
| 18 | Werner Vetterli | Switzerland | 10.11.6 | 0 | 3 | 97 | 18 | 22 | 3 | 27 | 20 | 180 | 24 | 4.33.5 | 14 | 15.59.7 | 24 | 107 |
| 19 | André Lacroix | France | 11.52.6 | 40.5 | 0 | 59.5 | 37 | 28 | 7 | 8 | 20 | 181 | 16 | 5.27.7 | 38 | 15.14.4 | 11 | 110 |
| 20 | Werner Schmid | Switzerland | 10.18.6 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 14 | 25 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 184 | 11 | 5.29.0 | 39 | 16.19.3 | 31 | 110 |
| 21 | Aloysio Borges | Brazil | 10.59.0 | 13.5 | 3 | 83.5 | 30 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 165 | 39 | 4.44.2 | 21 | 15.54.5 | 22 | 113 |
| 22 | Hernán Fuentes | Chile | 11.44.4 | 36.5 | 0 | 63.5 | 35 | 23 | 7 | 22 | 20 | 188 | 3 | 4.58.1 | 25 | 16.26.9 | 35 | 120 |
| 23 | Pavel Rakityansky | Soviet Union | 10.13.5 | 0 | 3 | 97 | 19 | 21 | 9 | 28 | 19 | 173 | 34 | 5.04.6 | 29 | 15.15.4 | 13 | 123 |
| 24 | Carlos Velázquez | Argentina | 9.32.6 | 0 | 3 | 97 | 17 | 20 | 2 | 33 | 20 | 186 | 7 | 5.35.7 | 41 | 16.01.2 | 25 | 123 |
| 25 | Forbes Carlile | Australia | 10.14.2 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 13 | 16 | 6 | 45 | 20 | 180 | 21 | 4.31.0 | 10 | 16.25.2 | 34 | 123 |
| 26 | Alberto Ortíz | Uruguay | 10.32.6 | 0.5 | 3 | 96.5 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 44 | 20 | 190 | 2 | 5.51.4 | 43 | 15.35.8 | 15 | 126 |
| 27 | Luis Carmona | Chile | 10.39.5 | 4 | 3 | 93 | 25 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 20 | 176 | 28 | 5.34.2 | 40 | 15.59.4 | 23 | 128 |
| 28 | Aleksandr Dekhayev | Soviet Union | 11.27.2 | 28 | 9 | 63 | 36 | 20 | 11 | 30 | 13 | 121 | 50 | 4.23.7 | 6 | 15.06.3 | 7 | 129 |
| 29 | Eric Marques | Brazil | 12.38.3 | 63.5 | 8 | 28.5 | 44 | 25 | 0 | 18 | 20 | 173 | 30 | 4.35.6 | 15 | 16.03.7 | 28 | 135 |
| 30 | John Hewitt | Great Britain | 10.54.7 | 11.5 | 0 | 88.5 | 27 | 17 | 6 | 42 | 20 | 181 | 18 | 5.22.9 | 37 | 15.15.3 | 12 | 136 |
| 31 | Alfonso Marotta | Italy | 10.19.5 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 16 | 19 | 6 | 36 | 20 | 181 | 20 | 4.52.7 | 22 | 17.21.8 | 43 | 137 |
| 32 | Berthold Slupik | Germany | 12.15.1 | 52 | 3 | 45 | 41 | 29 | 6 | 5 | 20 | 179 | 26 | 5.07.4 | 31 | 17.25.4 | 45 | 148 |
| 33 | Duilio Brignetti | Italy | 11.07.5 | 18 | 0 | 82 | 32 | 18 | 5 | 40 | 20 | 180 | 22 | 4.41.5 | 20 | 16.53.4 | 37 | 151 |
| 34 | Jorge Cáceres | Argentina | 10.56.6 | 12.5 | 9 | 78.5 | 33 | 18 | 8 | 39 | 20 | 182 | 14 | 5.02.5 | 28 | 16.59.7 | 38 | 152 |
| 35 | Erhard Minder | Switzerland | Interrupted | Interrupted | Interrupted | Interrupted | 49 | 21 | 4 | 29 | 19 | 181 | 32 | 5.36.9 | 42 | 15.04.1 | 6 | 158 |
| 36 | Dietloff Kapp | Germany | 12.03.7 | 46 | 11 | 43 | 42 | 15 | 9 | 46 | 18 | 159 | 44 | 4.32.2 | 12 | 15.31.4 | 14 | 158 |
| 37 | Jervis Percy | Great Britain | 10.35.3 | 2 | 50 | 48 | 40 | 13 | 8 | 50 | 19 | 171 | 36 | 5.08.5 | 32 | 14.41.9 | 3 | 161 |
| 38 | José Pérez | Mexico | 11.18.0 | 23 | 0 | 77 | 34 | 19 | 8 | 34 | 19 | 167 | 37 | 4.39.9 | 19 | 17.00.7 | 39 | 163 |
| 39 | Giulio Palmonella | Italy | 14.30.8 | 119.5 | 170 | -189.5 | 47 | 24 | 5 | 21 | 20 | 177 | 27 | 5.22.3 | 36 | 16.21.3 | 33 | 164 |
| 40 | Bertrand de Montaudoin | France | 13.33.9 | 91 | 20 | -11 | 46 | 19 | 7 | 35 | 19 | 164 | 40 | 6.11.0 | 46 | 15.09.7 | 9 | 176 |
| 41 | Ricardo Durão | Portugal | 10.59.1 | 14 | 3 | 83 | 31 | 25 | 3 | 16 | 19 | 173 | 35 | 7.07.7 | 48 | 18.04.5 | 49 | 179 |
| 42 | Christian Palant | France | 10.55.7 | 12 | 0 | 88 | 28 | 17 | 9 | 41 | 19 | 166 | 38 | 4.57.9 | 24 | 18.26.2 | 50 | 181 |
| 43 | Lem Martínez | Uruguay | 11.49.7 | 39 | 8 | 53 | 39 | 22 | 3 | 25 | 18 | 136 | 47 | 5.18.8 | 35 | 17.10.8 | 41 | 187 |
| 44 | Antonio Almada | Mexico | 10.58.3 | 13.5 | 3 | 83.5 | 29 | 16 | 10 | 43 | 15 | 142 | 49 | 5.06.7 | 30 | 17.15.7 | 42 | 193 |
| 45 | Francis Plumerel | Belgium | 12.39.0 | 63.5 | 14 | 22.5 | 45 | 24 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 145 | 46 | 5.55.5 | 44 | 17.09.5 | 40 | 195 |
| 46 | José Pereira | Portugal | 10.37.7 | 3 | 0 | 97 | 21 | 14 | 8 | 48 | 20 | 170 | 31 | 7.26.2 | 49 | 18.04.2 | 48 | 197 |
| 47 | David Romero | Mexico | 11.57.2 | 43 | 3 | 54 | 38 | 14 | 4 | 49 | 18 | 158 | 45 | 5.00.4 | 26 | 17.22.6 | 44 | 202 |
| 48 | António Janet | Portugal | 15.13.1 | 141 | 206 | -247 | 48 | 22 | 3 | 26 | 18 | 160 | 43 | 6.16.3 | 47 | 17.46.8 | 46 | 210 |
| 49 | Américo González | Uruguay | 12.10.1 | 49.5 | 15 | 35.5 | 43 | 9 | 7 | 51 | 19 | 164 | 41 | 6.04.7 | 45 | 16.20.8 | 32 | 212 |
| 50 | Harry Schmidt | South Africa | Interrupted | Interrupted | Interrupted | Interrupted | 49 | 20 | 9 | 32 | 17 | 135 | 48 | * | 50 | 17.59.3 | 47 | 226 |
| – | Adolf Harder | Germany | 10.44.7 | 6.5 | DQ | DQ | 49 | 15 | 9 | 47 | Did not finish | Did not finish | Did not finish | Did not finish | Did not finish | Did not finish | Did not finish | Did not finish |