(
from Wikipedia)
For his skill with running and fencing, Patton was selected as the Army's entry for the first
modern pentathlon at the
1912 Olympic Games in
Stockholm, Sweden.
[29] Of 42 competitors, Patton placed twenty-first on the pistol range, seventh in
swimming, fourth in
fencing, sixth in the
equestrian competition, and third in the footrace, finishing fifth overall and first among the non-Swedish competitors.
[30]There was some controversy concerning his performance in the pistol shooting competition, where he used a
.38 caliber pistol while most of the other competitors chose
.22 caliber firearms. He claimed that the holes in the paper from his early shots were so large that some of his later bullets passed through them, but the judges decided he missed the target completely once. Modern competitions on this level frequently now employ a moving background to specifically track multiple shots through the same hole.
[31][32] If his assertion was correct, Patton would likely have won an
Olympic medal in the event.
[33]The judges' ruling was upheld. Patton's only comment on the matter was:
The high spirit of sportsmanship and generosity manifested throughout speaks volumes for the character of the officers of the present day. There was not a single incident of a protest or any unsportsmanlike quibbling or fighting for points which I may say, marred some of the other civilian competitions at the Olympic Games. Each man did his best and took what fortune sent them like a true soldier, and at the end we all felt more like good friends and comrades than rivals in a severe competition, yet this spirit of friendship in no manner detracted from the zeal with which all strove for success.
[31]
