Despite being retained on the programme of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the modern pentathlon will see its athlete quota reduced from 72 to 64. Among the 31 sports set to continue in the 2028 Games, only surfing (with 48 athletes) has a smaller entry, yet modern pentathlon has been an Olympic sport since 1912.

So, what led to this reduction? Shiny Fang, Secretary General of the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM), provided an explanation in an online article on Thursday. She uniquely analyzed the considerations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that contributed to the loss of 8 spots for modern pentathlon.

The IOC has been looking at various factors when determining the athlete quotas for each sport. With the addition of new sports and the need to balance the overall size of the Olympic Games, tough decisions have to be made. The reduction in the modern pentathlon's quota might be related to the IOC's efforts to optimize the event's scale, ensure a diverse yet manageable programme, and perhaps due to the performance and popularity trends of the sport in recent Olympics. However, the UIPM is likely to work hard to ensure that the sport makes the most of the remaining 64 spots and continues to shine on the Olympic stage in 2028.