Taishu Sato raises his arms after winning a silver medal in the men’s modern pentathlon in Paris on Saturday.
14:16 JST, August 11, 2024
PARIS — Taishu Sato, 30, won a silver medal in the men’s modern pentathlon final at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, scoring 1,542 points.
It is the first time that a Japanese athlete has won an Olympic medal in the modern pentathlon.
Sato said: “Although I was actually aiming for a gold medal, I’m looking forward to seeing people’s reactions when I return to Japan.”
Sato reached the semi-finals on Friday and came in second, advancing to the finals, which included 18 competitors.
In the final on Saturday, Sato cautiously climbed to second place in the first event, horse riding, but he continued to perform consistently afterwards and eventually secured a place on the podium.
Sato began modern pentathlon at the Self-Defense Forces’ Physical Training School after graduating from Aomori Yamada High School in Aomori.
In 2021, he won the All Japan Championships for the first time. In the fourth round of last year’s World Cup, he came in second, becoming the first Japanese athlete in the sport to reach the podium.
The modern pentathlon is called the king of sports. Athletes compete in horse riding, fencing, swimming and laser run, which includes both running and shooting.
Since the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, horse riding has been replaced by obstacle racing.
