Michelle Gulyas of Hungary won the women's modern pentathlon. GETTY IMAGES

Just as the Château de Versailles witnessed the last royal reign of France, it paid testament to the final stages of modern pentathlon as we know it, as the Olympics bids adieu to one of the most controversial disciplines of the sport. 

Wearing the final crowns are Egypt’s Ahmed Elgendy and Hungary's Michelle Gulyas who both set world records to take the win. 

The final bouts played out against the grandeur of Versailles. GETTY IMAGES
The final bouts played out against the grandeur of Versailles. GETTY IMAGES

Elgendy was the top performer in fencing, garnishing 245 points in his duel. However, it was during the laser run, the combined shooting and running event, that Elgendy truly showed his superiority. The Egyptian shot with surgical precision while running with unyielding determination, winning the men’s gold medal with a world-record 1555 points.

The modern pentathlete had already made a name for himself when he became the first African to win an Olympic medal in the sport: taking home a silver at the Tokyo Games. 

Sato Taishu took on a similar distinction, taking the silver in a first for Japan. As well as bronze medallist Giorgio Malan who won Italy's first medal in modern pentathlon since Seoul 1988. 

Ahmed Elgendy claimed his second medal in the sport with a world-record finish. GETTY IMAGES
Ahmed Elgendy claimed his second medal in the sport with a world-record finish. GETTY IMAGES

"It means a lot because the last three years that I’ve been competing, I’ve had a lot of struggles and many physical and mental problems with injuries and pain," said Elgendy to Olympics.com.

"It’s the only gold medal (for Egypt) in this Olympic Games … I’m so proud to get this medal for Egypt," he added. 

Michelle Gulyas was crowned queen of the multi-discipline sport a day after Elgendy with 1,461 points to set a new world record.

Elodie Clouvel became the first French athlete to win two Olympic medals in the sport after taking the silver. Seong Seungmin earned a distinction as well as the first woman from South Korea to win an Olympic medal in the sport with her bronze. 

Clouvel was poised to take the gold in front of her home crowd with a 13-second advantage in the laser run. Ultimately, she finished nine points shy of Gulyas after a series of misses at the shooting stations. 

"It was tough," Gulyas admitted, reflecting on the race, "but I knew what I had to do, and I stayed focused on my shooting.”

Gulyas pulled ahead after some sharp laser shooting for the victory. 

Athletes ride horses not familiar to them which can result in refusals or more disastrous incidents. GETTY IMAGES
Athletes ride horses not familiar to them which can result in refusals or more disastrous incidents. GETTY IMAGES

Horses ride off into history

The Paris Olympic Games marked the end of an era for modern pentathlon. Horses will be removed from modern pentathlon entirely by the time the Los Angeles Olympics comes around in 2028. 

The sport has been part of the Games for 112 years, with its schedule — running, swimming, horse-riding, shooting and fencing — based on a cavalry officer’s skill set. Athletes have to ride unfamiliar horses on the premise of being able to take any horse behind enemy lines to escape. Its creation is widely credited to Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement. 

The sport has amassed criticism with concerns about animal welfare. It began when a coach leaned over a fence at the Tokyo Olympics to strike a horse that wouldn’t cooperate and video footage of the incident went viral outside the small world of modern pentathlon.

In Paris 2024, France's Marie Oteiza was thrown off her horse during the show jumping round and Spain’s Laura Heredia was eliminated after her horse refused to cooperate three times.

Under pressure from the International Olympic Committee, modern pentathlon will debut obstacle courses to replace the equestrian discipline for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.