How the modern pentathlon world ranking works
Each modern pentathlon competition gives ranking points by finishing place. How many points depends on the level of the competition: an Olympic Games, World Championships or World Cup Final (level 1) is worth four times as much as a small international event (level 4).
An athlete's ranking is the total of their three best placings in the last 12 months. Only athletes who finish the competition get points.
| Place | Level 1 (Olympics, Worlds, World Cup Final) | Level 4 (smallest) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 80 | 20 |
| 10th | 52 | 6 |
| 18th | 38 | 1 |
There are separate lists for seniors, juniors, under-19, under-17 and under-15, men and women, updated after every competition.
Which competitions count
A competition counts only if it is an official UIPM international competition with at least three nations and 12 athletes. If an athlete has two competitions of the same type in the 12 months (for example two World Championships), only the more recent one counts.
The four levels
| Level | Competitions |
|---|---|
| 1 | Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup Final |
| 2 | Continental championships or games, and World Cup competitions, that meet the level 2 criteria |
| 3 | Regional championships or games and international World Ranking competitions that meet the level 3 criteria; continental championships and World Cups that miss level 2 |
| 4 | Everything else that misses level 3 |
Levels 2 to 4 depend on how strong the field is: the number of nations, the number of athletes who completed all five events, and the share of athletes from the top 100 of the current ranking.
| Level 2 Europe | Level 2 other continents | Level 3 Europe | Level 3 other continents | Level 4 Europe | Level 4 other continents | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men: nations, athletes, % top 100 | 10, 32, 30% | 5, 24, 10% | 8, 24, 20% | 4, 20, 5% | 6, 18, 5% | 3, 16, 0% |
| Women: nations, athletes, % top 100 | 8, 30, 30% | 5, 20, 10% | 6, 20, 20% | 4, 16, 5% | 4, 16, 5% | 3, 12, 0% |
Only athletes who reach a minimum score count towards these numbers: for seniors and juniors, 875 points (men) and 800 (women). A did-not-finish counts; a did-not-start or a disqualification does not.
Asian events are judged on the "other continents" column, so an Asian Championships needs fewer nations and athletes than a European one to reach the same level.
The points table
| Place | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 80 | 60 | 40 | 20 |
| 2 | 75 | 55 | 36 | 17 |
| 3 | 70 | 51 | 33 | 15 |
| 4 | 66 | 48 | 31 | 13 |
| 5 | 63 | 46 | 29 | 11 |
| 6 | 60 | 44 | 27 | 10 |
| 8 | 56 | 40 | 23 | 8 |
| 10 | 52 | 38 | 21 | 6 |
| 15 | 42 | 33 | 16 | 1 |
| 18 | 38 | 30 | 13 | 1 |
| 19 | 33 | 25 | 9 | 1 |
| 20 | 32 | 24 | 8 | 1 |
| 30 | 22 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
| 40 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Beyond 40th, level 1 keeps falling by one point a place (11, 10, 9 and so on) and level 2 by one point (3, 2, 1); levels 3 and 4 give 1 point.
There is a drop of 5 points between 18th and 19th at level 1 (4 or 5 at levels 2 and 3). The final has 18 athletes, so the drop separates finalists from those knocked out earlier.
Ties
- The athlete with the best single placing among their three counted competitions goes higher.
- Then the one with more points from their most recent competition.
- Then the one with more points from the most recent World Championships.
The World Cup standing
A separate World Cup list adds up each athlete's three best World Cup results (same points table). It picks the best 33 (or 32) for the World Cup Final; the reigning world champion (or Olympic champion in an Olympic year) and up to two athletes from the host country fill the last places.
A worked example
Made up to show the arithmetic. An Indian pentathlete finishes 5th at the Asian Championships (judged level 2): 46 points. They place 12th at a World Cup that meets level 2: 36. They come 3rd at a level 4 international event: 15. Ranking total: 46 + 36 + 15 = 97. If they later finish 20th at the World Championships (level 1: 32), that replaces the 15 and the total becomes 114.
Variations
| Ranking | Covered here |
|---|---|
| Senior, junior, U19, U17, U15 individual | Yes (same method) |
| Olympic and Youth Olympic PWR | Separate lists (Article 1.19.1 vi); not described in detail |
| Relay PWR by nation | Published when there are more than three relay competitions a year; not covered |
| Fencing World Ranking | No |