Pentathlon GB’s Junior Team head to Prague this weekend to compete in the Milan Kadlec Memorial. The competition represents another opportunity for the young Brits to build up their international competition experience against their counterparts from abroad.
The Women’s team contains defending champion Georgia Pipes and Georgina Summers, younger sister of current Junior World Champion Francesca. Pipes came first in both the fencing and swimming disciplines last year, propelling her into an early lead that she didn’t relinquish. The Yorkshire born athlete made her World Cup debut in Cairo in February and will be looking to use that experience in her second year as a Junior athlete.
Summers is currently 3rd on the 2016 Senior British ranking list after two hugely impressive performances in the National Ranking competitions over the winter. The first-year Junior athlete currently trains at North Kent Modern Pentathlon Club and has already excelled on the international stage this season, finishing 8th in the Budapest Indoor International in January and 5th at the Spanish International in February.
The Boys’ team will be made up of Adam Price, Jamie Harper, Bradley Sutton and Harry Sykes, the same quartet that competed in Drzonkow, Poland at the start of the month.
All produced some excellent performances during the competition and will be hoping to add more consistency to improve their finishing positions in Prague. Price was the top Brit on that occasion, finishing 15th, and the Yorkshire born athlete is now based at Pentathlon GB’s National Training Centre at the University of Bath, training alongside the country’s best pentathletes on a daily basis.
Cheltenham’s Harper has also moved to Bath, combining his training with studying for a Sports Performance degree. The duo are currently ranked 8th and 10th respectively on the Men’s British ranking list, the 2nd and 3rd highest placed Juniors.
Sutton, originally from Basingstoke, Hampshire and Sykes from Worcester now both study and train at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire. The pair are still Youth A athletes (Under 19) but are currently competing at Junior level to help with their development.
Sykes will be hoping to build on an impressive 9th place finish at the competition last year whilst Sutton is making his debut at the event. Sutton is currently ranked 2nd on the Pentathlon GB U19 ranking list with Sykes in 3rd following the two National Youth Ranking competitions at the beginning of the year.
Competition schedule:
· Saturday 14th May – Women’s competition
· Sunday 15th May – Men’s competition
GB Team:
· Georgia Pipes from Easingwold, Yorkshire
· Georgina Summers from Dorking, Surrey
· Jamie Harper from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
· Adam Price from Alne, Yorkshire
· Bradley Sutton from Basingstoke, Hampshire
· Harry Sykes from Worcester, Worcestershire
Report courtesy of Pentathlon GB
