Russia's Alexander Lesun set a new Olympic record for fencing in the modern pentathlon on Thursday, while Poland's Oktawia Nowacka took the lead on the first day of the women's event. Former world champion Lesun, who just missed the podium in London, won 28 of 35 bouts to beat a prior record set by his countryman Andrei Moiseev in 2008. Lesun was competing alone for Russia in the men's event after compatriots Maksim Kutsov and Ilia Frolov were banned in July from the Rio Games due to doping offenses. The Russian called frequently to the Russian crowd in the stands during a grueling afternoon of fencing and declined to speak with the press as he left the arena. Thursday's round-robin fencing competition sets the initial rankings for the pentathlon's single day of swimming, horse riding, fencing, running and shooting.–Reuters