Russia's Lesun wins pentathlon gold, sets new Olympic records

Rio de Janeiro (dpa) - Russia‘s Alexander Lesun clinched gold in the gruelling modern pentathlon at the Rio Olympics on Saturday, setting two new Olympic records along the way.The sport, which is supposedly based on the mission of a 19th-century French cavalry officer sent to deliver a message, involves fencing, swimming, riding, running and shooting.Lesun, who had come in fourth at the 2012 London Games, finished the men‘s event Saturday with an Olympic-record total of 1,479 points. He also set a new Olympic record in the fencing event with 268 points."I just did my job," Lesun told journalists after the competition.Russia has now won gold in the modern pentathlon four times in the last five Olympics. Only in London did it fail to get the title.Silver in Rio went to Ukraine‘s Pavlo Tymoshchenko, while Ismael Hernandez Uscanga of Mexico won bronze - the first pentathlon medal ever for his country.While the men‘s competition has been held at the Olympics since 1912, the women‘s event was only added at the Sydney Games in 2000.In Rio de Janeiro, Australia‘s Chloe Esposito won gold in the women‘s event, while Elodie Clouvel of France took silver and Poland‘s Oktawia Nowacka was awarded bronze.