Modern Pentathlon at Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Men’s Final Reaction

On a sun-kissed Saturday afternoon in the stunning surrounds of the Palace of Versailles a new Olympic Games champion was crowned in the Men’s Final of Modern Pentathlon. Here is a rapid round-up of athlete reaction from the Mixed Zone after the Men’s Final at Paris 2024:

 

Ahmed Elgendy (EGY), gold medallist: “Doubts? Before the Riding, maybe. Because yesterday the Riding was maybe not the best. But today we planned for better Riding and correcting the mistakes and here we are. I felt bad for [Mohanad] Shaban, because he got eliminated at the last jump. It was very bad but all I can say to him is hard luck. He could have made it to the podium if he had passed the finish line because it was going to be a clear ride. Hard luck for him. I’m hoping for a better one for him in Los Angeles.

“Let me say I always shoot [well] when I am under pressure. My best shooting ever was in Tokyo. Yesterday in the Semi-final it was very good. When I am always in the first position, I don't have the best shooting. But today it wasn’t amazing in the first shooting. I had to run very fast so I could compensate, but finally I made it to the gold medal.

“I was running for a world record and an Olympic record, of course, but after the average shooting I was in doubt of breaking the world record. But after I finished I found out I broke it anyway.

“I’m feeling great and thankful for the Egyptian people and my family. For my brother Mohamed Elgendy, my whole family and my coaches, all the Egyptian people. It was amazing support from them the last two days. I saw the support and I just want to tell them I love them so much and I appreciate the support.

“Actually it’s my second consecutive medal, silver in Tokyo and here it is gold. Maybe I’m a little bit more famous in Egypt now. But I’m still humble and still appreciating what people made for me in the last three years after Tokyo. There were a lot of struggles but the struggles made me better, made me stronger and made me here.

“Let me say that I am planning to be in Los Angeles 2028, maybe it will be the last try for me. As you know, I had a shoulder injury after Tokyo so it will be a little risky with Obstacle, but I am looking forward to Los Angeles 2028.”

 

Taishu Sato (JPN), silver medallist: “I came to get a medal, so I am happy. My Laser Run was the best today but the Riding was very good today as well.

"I will celebrate first of all with family. I wanted to be in the Tokyo Olympics in Modern Pentathlon but I couldn’t make it. I was 19 when I started Modern Pentathlon.

"It will be a great change in my life because it is the first time in Japanese history that we have won a Modern Pentathlon medal!”

 

Giorgio Malan (ITA), bronze medallist: “I said it to you before, yesterday, I could do better than yesterday. It's amazing. I imagined this this day a lot of times this year. This Final, I enjoyed every moment, and this was my goal. I enjoyed it all, amazing.

“I'm from Italy, it's near to here. All my friends, all my family, were here and they gave me a lot of energy. It's amazing. I have to thank my family, my group of supporters, the Azzurri, my team, my coaches, and all of the staff.”

 

Emiliano Hernandez (MEX), 4th place: “I feel sad. It was a tough competition at the end. This Pentathlon is five sports. My first sport today was not so accurate. My team, my coaches asked me to do the competition of my life, and I made that. I was so close to the podium, but we will come back stronger.

“I don't know yet. I don't know what my next dream, my next goal will be. I will ask my coaches, my family, everyone who was supporting me, what they want me to do. So, I will be waiting for them.

“Putting aside the sadness, I have to be really grateful for this horse riding, to be in this amazing venue, to be with 15,000 people watching the competition and I don't know how many around the world. So, this will be a pretty special moment for my sport, for Modern Pentathlon, and I'm just happy to be part of it.”

 

Matteo Cicinelli (ITA), 5th place: “No words, no words. My heart is exploding right now. I cannot find the words to explain what I felt today. Amazing stadium with 15,000 people. Hearing the crowds, the emotion, I can’t even imagine that.

“With Giorgio in 3rd, I think that’s the best result in maybe 30 years. That’s a result people in Italy will remember. Of course we will have a party, maybe for the whole weekend. The party won’t stop!”

 

Woongtae Jun (KOR), 6th place: “I didn't get the result that I wanted, so I’m a bit out of my mind right now. But after the Games I will feel a little bit better. I tried my best and I still had a good experience today.”

 

Changwan Seo (KOR), 7th place: “For this competition I didn’t get the results as much as I had prepared for, as much as I hoped for. But I did my best and still tried to finish the race [as best] as I could. It is my first Olympics and I tried to enjoy it as much as possible but I was more anxious than I thought. Compared to yesterday, I enjoyed today more.”

 

Joseph Choong (GBR), 9th place: “I left it all out there. I said yesterday that I was lying in wait for slip-ups to happen. They didn’t. I moved up a lot of places today and I left it all out there. There was nothing else I could do. At the end of the day I still have that gold medal [from Tokyo] in my sock drawer at home.

“I’ve had such a really intense last two months. I’ve not been happy. An evening away from the Olympic bubble with my friends and my girlfriend was such a nice evening out, to get away from it all, and it really helped me reset before the Semi-final. So I think now a nice couple of months' holiday to work out what I want head-wise. I think I will carry on for another year at least, and then it’s very likely I’ll call it a day after that. I’d like to end on a more positive note than that.

"I would have to [do Obstacle] because that was the last ride ever. I took a moment to have a look around and take in what was the most amazing atmosphere I’ve ever ridden in. The view was incredible, the crowd was even better. I know we’re in Paris but there were so many Brits who made the journey over, it almost felt like a home crowd. That was incredible.

“[Me and my horse] had fun. She tried really hard for me, she was a really clever girl, she helped me out on a couple of jumps. It was a fun ride to end on.”

 

Balazs Szep (HUN), 10th place: "I’m really sad because the combined is usually my strongest event. Today, I was a little bit tired because this year was long. So, I’m really sad.

“Yes, it was a very good atmosphere. I think there were 15,000 people and this feeling and this noise from the French people was very good. Now, I will have two months' rest and then I will continue.”

 

Jean-Baptiste Mourcia (FRA), 11th place: “Laser Run is usually my best discipline and performance but I did very well in the Riding today. But the rest wasn’t exceptional. I was over time in the Swimming. My day wasn’t terrible.

“I have tasted what it is like to be in an Olympic competition. So I am definitely going to continue and try to win a medal next time. Now with Riding being taken out, I will see how it is with the new Obstacle discipline. We will see.

“There are a lot of emotions. One and a half years ago I was very far away from even qualifying for the French team. I finished in 9th place. It’s amazing, all that I have done to get to the Olympics, so it’s only positive for the future.”

 

Fabian Liebig (GER), 12th place: “That was a tough one today. The field was just amazing. All athletes performed so well. For me, I cannot complain about my result overall. I had a clear run in the Riding. My Swimming was fine and in the Laser Run, the field was just amazing. I can’t explain it in a different way. I know I didn’t have as good shooting as yesterday but still it was kind of okayish.

"Usually with my running form I would improve in the placement. Unfortunately I finished 12th as I started, but that shows that the field was just amazing. All of the guys are the best in the world and I competed with them so I cannot complain. Also with a broken wrist, four weeks no training, and still close to my PBs. So I’m very happy. I was happy to compete and make it to the Final so to come 12th is a bonus. There was no chance of a medal so I can’t complain.”

 

Csaba Bohm (HUN), 13th place: “I feel disappointment and sadness. The mistakes I made yesterday meant that I couldn’t compete. It was a nice performance especially in the physical events but, overall, I’m a little disappointed.

“I need some rest now. Going to have a month to recover, to think over things. I don't know the future, but I will maybe train to build myself up.”

 

Alexandre Dallenbach (SUI), 14th place: “I feel satisfied. I always said I didn’t want to have regrets. I have no regrets. There’s nothing I could have done today. I gave it my all, just tried to turn up the motor and there was nothing. Obviously it’s hard to be let down by my strength because running is supposed to be my strength. Today it was not!

"No excuse. I probably didn’t prepare enough…or maybe too much. But we have tried everything we could. I am really thankful to my coach, Jamie Cooke, who brought me here. I think in only one year and a half we did some miracles. Being in an Olympic final is something to be proud of. This morning I did think about doing my best. You imagine the day going through and it’s going well but I think somewhere in my mind I knew that the legs were gone.”

 

Valentin Prades (FRA), 16th place: “I feel disappointed. [This] was not what I expected since Tokyo. I was expecting a podium finish and I’m frustrated.

“Apart from the result, I’m very happy and proud to be French today. It is an incredible venue and it was an incredible crowd. It's incredible to have 15,000 people for Modern Pentathlon, that's definitely a first for me.”

 

Mohanad Shaban (EGY), 18th place: “Really, I feel sad now. It was for me a very bad competition from the beginning, even in the Fencing in the Semi-final and the Final. Then in the end I fall down from the horse and get elimination. Maybe God sees that it’s good for me, for the future to be better and stronger. One from Egypt has the podium and the gold medal and I’m very happy. I will see you in LA.”