At the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, a single modern pentathlon event was contested composed of five disciplines. Competitors were housed at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the five disciplines were held at nearby venues. Whereas the symbol used for most sports in official materials was a relevant piece of sports equipment, for the modern pentathlon it was a laurel wreath.
The modern pentathlon consisted of five disciplines. The competition used a point-for-place system, with the lowest total across the five disciplines winning.
The medal ceremony was on 5 August in Wembley Stadium
45 athletes from 16 nations competed at the London Games: