USA Pentathlon Announces 2016 U.S. Olympic Pentathlon Team

Jul 19, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Nathan Schrimsher of the United States celebrates after placing third in the modern pentathlon during the 2015 Pan Am Games at Pan Am Aquatics UTS Centre and Field House. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher/USA Today Sports Images

USA Pentathlon, the U.S. National Governing Body for the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon is proud to announce the US team members for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

Leading the team is 3-time Olympian Margaux Isaksen, Fayetteville, AR. Margaux’s first Olympics’ was in 2008, Beijing where she competed as a 16 year-old. In London, 2012 she finished 4th where after a day-long competition, she was just 2 seconds from a medal. Since London, Margaux has won several World Cups, Continental and National Championships and the prestigious Champions of Champions event which brings together the winners of all of the world’s major competitions. World ranked #1 in the 2015 World Cup season, this year, she is again a medal contender in Rio.

Joining Margaux is her younger sister Isabella, where for the first time in Modern Pentathlon history two sisters will compete together in the same games. Isabella is a Junior World Champion from 2012 where she teamed with Margaux and Samantha Achterberg. Also a US National Champion, she has now moved up successfully to the senior rankings. Isabella and Margaux both now live and train at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.

The US men’s team will have US Army Sergeant Nathan Schrimsher, Roswell, NM, the first American over-all to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games with his bronze medal in the 2015 Pan American Games held in Toronto, Canada. Nathan is part of the US Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) and is based in Fort Carson allowing him to train in Colorado Springs at the US Olympic Training Center. Nathan continues a tradition of US Army WCAP athletes representing the United States in Pentathlon as US Army Sergeant Dennis Bowsher competed in 2012 in London. Nathan was a multiple Junior National Champion before becoming a multiple Senior National Champion and Pan American Games medalist.

The replacement athletes for Team USA will be 2016 US National Champion Samantha Achterberg, Littleton, CO and former US Junior National Champion Lucas Schrimsher, Nathan’s younger brother.

US head coach, Janusz Peciak, 1976 Olympic gold medalist, said, “The USA is fielding one of the strongest teams in recent years. The selection process came down to the final competition with all athletes performing well under difficult circumstances. We look forward to show the world what we can do in Rio.”

There will be 36 men and 36 women competing for Modern Pentathlon’s ultimate prize in Rio, with 27 nations having qualified through a grueling selection process to field athletes.

The Olympic event starts with the women’s Fencing Ranking Round at 10:30 (local time) on August 18, followed by the men’s Fencing Ranking Round at 14:30, both events taking place at the Deodoro Youth Olympic Arena.

The finals follow on August 19 (women) and August 20 (men), starting with swimming at 12:00 at Deodoro Aquatics Centre followed by the Fencing Bonus Round, Riding and the Combined Event at Deodoro Stadium from 14:00.

You may find more information about USA Pentathlon at www.usapentathlon.org.

Press release courtesy of USA Pentathlon.

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