Pentathletes usually have a swimming background, which is considered to be the only Pentathlon discipline that cannot be taught at a high level at an older age.

For this reason, good swimming standards are considered to be a “precondition” for participation in Modern pentathlon.

The swimming event is a free-style race over 200 m for men and women with athletes seeded in heats according to their personal best time.

A time of 2:30 minutes equates to 1,000 points for men, while 2:40 minutes scores 1,000 points for women.

Every tenth of a second below or above those figures increases or decreases the competitors' scores by a point.

Times are not rounded up or down to the nearest tenth of a point, so a time of 2:29.01 minutes scores the same number of points as 2:29.09 minutes.

Forty-point penalties are incurred for two false starts or failing to touch the wall at the end of a lap.