The current defending modern pentathlon gold medalist, Australian Chloe Esposito, will not be available for the Toyko Olympics.

For those unfamiliar with Modern Pentathlon, it is the only sport created exclusively for the modern-day Olympics. 

Modern Pentathlon is meant to reproduce what a 19th-century cavalier officer, considered a model warrior at the time of the creation of the modern-day Olympics, would require in terms of skills should they be found behind enemy lines. 

Its creation was inspired by the traditional pentathlon held at the ancient Olympics.  The multi-sport event is composed of fencing, swimming, riding, running and shooting.

The first iteration of the women’s tournament was held at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.  Esposito, the daughter of Australian 1984 Modern Pentathlon Olympian Daniel Esposito, represented Australia twice, at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

After finishing in seventh place at the London Olympics, she followed this up with a gold medal performance in 2016.  Esposito set a new Olympic record of 1372 points in the process.

After taking a year off from the sport post-Olympics she returned to once again claim the number one world ranking.  She had of late been plagued by a hamstring injury, although she was expected to return to full competition this year.

Esposito has however announced that she is pregnant, thus ending her chances of competing in Tokyo.  When asked whether she would be retiring Esposito replied that the birth of her child would only delay her gold medal defense by four years.

This is Esposito’s first child.  She is 28 years old.