Defence Force host national pentathlon championships at Wonderboom
Super-fit athletes from various units and regions from the South African Defence Force's gathered in Pretoria last week for the South African National Defence Force's national pentathlon championships.
The South African National Defence Force’s national pentathlon championship was again presented by SA Army Signal Formation at the Wonderboom military base last week.
In 2013 the championship was held for the first time on Wonderboom military base, utilising a brand new obstacle course, built according to recommended standards. This year’s championship was presented over two days.
Day one started in earnest with shooting in the simulator room and grenade throwing. Male and female participants shoot a total of 25 rounds at a target 200 metres out, in the following order: Five shots grouping fire, ten shots precision fire and ten shots rapid fire. In the grenade throwing category male and female participants compete in two parts, namely accuracy and distance throwing.
In accuracy throwing males throw at distances of 20, 50, 30 and 35 metres and females throw at distances of 15, 20, 25 and 30 metres. The male world record in distance throwing is 81 metres.
Soldiers also ran a 500m obstacle course – males navigating 20 obstacles and women 16. That’s usually where the serious athletes are separated from the hopefuls. The current male world record holder in the obstacle run is Daniel Wolbrecht from Denmark who did it in two minutes and ten seconds at the 58th World Military Pentathlon Championship in 2011. This year the Wonderboom military base obstacle course’s fastest time was set up by Lance Corporal Martin Richard Watkins of 43 SA Brigade in two minutes and 45 seconds.
On day two members competed in a relay run of the obstacle course. They had to take on a 4km cross-country run and an obstacle swimming course with four obstacles in a 50m swimming pool.
According to Major Lizette Lombard from the SA Army Signal Formation, this year’s SA championship automatically served as trials for the selection of a national army team. This team of 20 soldiers will form part of a training group out of which a few members will then be chosen to represent the SA National Defence Force in September 2015 in Korea during the World Military Pentathlon Championship.
Military Pentathlon is one of the elite CISM sport codes and requires members to have an above average level of skills and physical fitness. It pushes the limits when it comes to stamina and endurance. The sport originated in 1946 in France. Military Pentathlon was established in the SANDF in 1996 by Lt Col Johann Zietsman and the first championship was held in 1998.
