We can trace the roots of modern pentathlon to the ancient pentathlon, which included discus throw, javelin, long-jump, the stadium-length race and wrestling.
Pentathlon was incorporated into the ancient Olympic Games in 708 BC.
In more recent times, the men’s modern pentathlon was included in the Olympic competition schedule at Stockholm 1912, while the women’s category was only added at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Modern pentathlon is a multi-disciplinary sport involving mastering everything a 19th-century cavalry soldier may have had to.
Ireland's Natalya Coyle has three Olympic Games under her belt in Womens' Modern Pentathlon. \ Sportsfile
First, you have a swordfight (fencing), then you swim for 200m, jump complex fences on horseback, go for a run and finish off by shooting an air pistol. The horse element is, of course, the most unpredictable, where human meets animal, and things don’t always go to plan.
Helen Sharp (HS): Tell me about your best moment on horseback?
Natalya Coyle (NC): To be honest, it’s the times when I was younger and in pony club. When I made the Robbie Bailey pony show jumping team, it was so important. Also, when I travelled to England to compete in triathlon and was able to ride the massive cross-country at Hartpury, and I was clear!
It’s such a boost to do these things when you are young. The Rio and London Olympics, in particular, were incredible experiences. I can always feel those times I had when I was young when I am competing now.
HS: The riding element of the modern pentathlon is notoriously tricky (the rider first sits on the horse for 10 minutes of flatwork to get to know the horse. They have a further 10 minutes to jump five obstacles in the warm-up ring. Finally, they proceed to the competition arena to jump a course of 12 fences that include a triple combination and a double combination). How do you prepare for such a difficult task?
NC: In the training for the Olympics, we rode at Broadmeadow Equestrian Centre, and I would ride a different horse each week in preparation.
I try to compete as much as possible because you aren’t quite pushed as much in a lesson as you are under the pressure of competition. What’s helpful is competing in different countries such as Hungary and Egypt as they give a wide variety of horse experience, with horses that are trained differently.
I also work a lot with sports psychology to help with the fear of messing up with so many people watching, which helped with a tough show jumping round in Tokyo this year! On the day of the competition, I do as much as I can to prepare, including watching the test ride and talking to the horse owner to get a feel for it.
I listen to the coach, and you have to get a feel for the horse when you get on it. You can’t work against the animal that is underneath you.
HS: Is there someone you admire, particularly in the equestrian sport you may have been inspired by?
NC: Our team coach is John Ledingham. I admire the way he interacts with the horses; he has an excellent way of being and coaching these incredible equine athletes.
I also really love Camilla Speirs and Portersize Just a Jiff. That was such a great partnership; Jiff was small but with such a big heart.
HS: You finished ninth in London 2012, sixth in Rio 2016 and were four points off a bronze medal going into the riding section in Tokyo 2020 until your horse Constantin refused at two jumps. Germany’s Annika Schleu was leading and on track for a gold medal, but her horse Saint Boy stopped and refused to go forward before crossing the start line. There was a lot of controversy surrounding Schleu’s handling of the horse, particularly regarding equine welfare within pentathlon as a whole, which must have been tough for everyone involved; how did that incident and the negative publicity affect you and your colleagues?
NC: It was sad to see how personal the attacks got to Annika, who is a lovely, lovely person. She was winning, and what happened was so tough. It was really difficult for me to see someone being hurt so badly and get such a personal battering – she was sent death threats; she didn’t deserve it. There is room for change in our sport
The rules have already been altered so that courses have fewer and lower jumps, simpler obstacles, and animal welfare modules have been added to the coaches certification programme and judges certification programme and there is a new committee to help with it all. It’s very difficult to find good horses for pentathlon, it’s very expesive too. But it is changing and the authorities have listened to all our feedback.
HS: Obviously, as a pentathlon athlete, your fitness is already incredible but are there anything you do specifically for the riding element?
NC: I go to the gym a lot, and actually, fencing is excellent as it works you in a deeper position in a squat, which translates well for riding.
HS: You have recently become an ambassador for O’Brien’s Sandwich Cafés. As a professional athlete, food is an integral part of your training regime – can you share your go-to favourite food for a training day?
NC: Food is vital for an athlete. The O’Brien’s menu allows for flexibility, and that’s what I love about it.
When I’m training and doing two sessions a day, I need calories, so I often order a soup and club sandwich, or if it’s a single session day, I’ll have a powerhouse salad.
Natalya Coyle is a new ambassador for O'Brien's Sandwich Cafés. \ Alan Rowlette
HS: Finally, is a fourth Olympics in Paris 2024 on the cards or do you have other plans, perhaps a career as a professional show jumper?
NC: Well, I’ve just started a masters degree in sustainable economics and policy, so I’m just going to concentrate on that for now. It’s tough to come from the single-focus of the pentathlon, so the masters is my focus. Cian O’Connor is safe!
We can trace the roots of modern pentathlon to the ancient pentathlon, which included discus throw, javelin, long-jump, the stadium-length race and wrestling.
Pentathlon was incorporated into the ancient Olympic Games in 708 BC.
In more recent times, the men’s modern pentathlon was included in the Olympic competition schedule at Stockholm 1912, while the women’s category was only added at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Modern pentathlon is a multi-disciplinary sport involving mastering everything a 19th-century cavalry soldier may have had to.
Ireland's Natalya Coyle has three Olympic Games under her belt in Womens' Modern Pentathlon. \ Sportsfile
First, you have a swordfight (fencing), then you swim for 200m, jump complex fences on horseback, go for a run and finish off by shooting an air pistol. The horse element is, of course, the most unpredictable, where human meets animal, and things don’t always go to plan.
Helen Sharp (HS): Tell me about your best moment on horseback?
Natalya Coyle (NC): To be honest, it’s the times when I was younger and in pony club. When I made the Robbie Bailey pony show jumping team, it was so important. Also, when I travelled to England to compete in triathlon and was able to ride the massive cross-country at Hartpury, and I was clear!
It’s such a boost to do these things when you are young. The Rio and London Olympics, in particular, were incredible experiences. I can always feel those times I had when I was young when I am competing now.
HS: The riding element of the modern pentathlon is notoriously tricky (the rider first sits on the horse for 10 minutes of flatwork to get to know the horse. They have a further 10 minutes to jump five obstacles in the warm-up ring. Finally, they proceed to the competition arena to jump a course of 12 fences that include a triple combination and a double combination). How do you prepare for such a difficult task?
NC: In the training for the Olympics, we rode at Broadmeadow Equestrian Centre, and I would ride a different horse each week in preparation.
I try to compete as much as possible because you aren’t quite pushed as much in a lesson as you are under the pressure of competition. What’s helpful is competing in different countries such as Hungary and Egypt as they give a wide variety of horse experience, with horses that are trained differently.
I also work a lot with sports psychology to help with the fear of messing up with so many people watching, which helped with a tough show jumping round in Tokyo this year! On the day of the competition, I do as much as I can to prepare, including watching the test ride and talking to the horse owner to get a feel for it.
I listen to the coach, and you have to get a feel for the horse when you get on it. You can’t work against the animal that is underneath you.
HS: Is there someone you admire, particularly in the equestrian sport you may have been inspired by?
NC: Our team coach is John Ledingham. I admire the way he interacts with the horses; he has an excellent way of being and coaching these incredible equine athletes.
I also really love Camilla Speirs and Portersize Just a Jiff. That was such a great partnership; Jiff was small but with such a big heart.
HS: You finished ninth in London 2012, sixth in Rio 2016 and were four points off a bronze medal going into the riding section in Tokyo 2020 until your horse Constantin refused at two jumps. Germany’s Annika Schleu was leading and on track for a gold medal, but her horse Saint Boy stopped and refused to go forward before crossing the start line. There was a lot of controversy surrounding Schleu’s handling of the horse, particularly regarding equine welfare within pentathlon as a whole, which must have been tough for everyone involved; how did that incident and the negative publicity affect you and your colleagues?
NC: It was sad to see how personal the attacks got to Annika, who is a lovely, lovely person. She was winning, and what happened was so tough. It was really difficult for me to see someone being hurt so badly and get such a personal battering – she was sent death threats; she didn’t deserve it. There is room for change in our sport
The rules have already been altered so that courses have fewer and lower jumps, simpler obstacles, and animal welfare modules have been added to the coaches certification programme and judges certification programme and there is a new committee to help with it all. It’s very difficult to find good horses for pentathlon, it’s very expesive too. But it is changing and the authorities have listened to all our feedback.
HS: Obviously, as a pentathlon athlete, your fitness is already incredible but are there anything you do specifically for the riding element?
NC: I go to the gym a lot, and actually, fencing is excellent as it works you in a deeper position in a squat, which translates well for riding.
HS: You have recently become an ambassador for O’Brien’s Sandwich Cafés. As a professional athlete, food is an integral part of your training regime – can you share your go-to favourite food for a training day?
NC: Food is vital for an athlete. The O’Brien’s menu allows for flexibility, and that’s what I love about it.
When I’m training and doing two sessions a day, I need calories, so I often order a soup and club sandwich, or if it’s a single session day, I’ll have a powerhouse salad.
Natalya Coyle is a new ambassador for O'Brien's Sandwich Cafés. \ Alan Rowlette
HS: Finally, is a fourth Olympics in Paris 2024 on the cards or do you have other plans, perhaps a career as a professional show jumper?
NC: Well, I’ve just started a masters degree in sustainable economics and policy, so I’m just going to concentrate on that for now. It’s tough to come from the single-focus of the pentathlon, so the masters is my focus. Cian O’Connor is safe!
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: