Taishu Sato Gets Silver in Modern Pentathlon; Earns Japan’s 1st Medal for the Event

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:16 JST, August 11, 2024

PARIS — Taishu Sato, 30, earned a silver medal in the final of the men’s modern pentathlon in the Paris Olympic on Saturday. His point total was 1,542.

This is the first time for a Japanese athlete to bag an Olympic medal in the modern pentathlon.

Sato said, “Though I was really aiming for a gold medal, I look forward to seeing people’s reactions when I return to Japan.”

Sato passed the semifinal held Friday, taking second place and entering the final which had 18 competitors.

In Saturday’s final, Sato tentatively rose to the second position in the first event, horse riding, and then proceeded through the events with a consistent performance, finally earning a position on the podium.

Sato began doing the modern pentathlon in the Self-Defense Forces’ Physical Training School upon graduating from Aomori Yamada High School in Aomori.

In 2021, he won the All Japan Championships for the first time. In last year’s World Cup fourth round, he was ranked second and was the first Japanese athlete in the sport to take the podium.

The modern pentathlon is dubbed the king of sports. Athletes compete in riding, fencing, swimming and laser run, which includes both running and shooting.

Starting in the Los Angeles Olympic Games, the horse riding will be replaced by obstacle racing.