The first 2017 Pentathlon GB Ranking Competition takes place this weekend with Great Britain’s best modern pentathletes set to do battle.
The first Senior (22+) and Junior (19-21) ranking competition of the year takes place on Sunday with the first Youth (U19) ranking event on Saturday. Both events will be held at Pentathlon GB’s National Training Centre, the University of Bath, with the riding taking place at West Wiltshire Equestrian Centre on Sunday.
2016 Olympians Kate French and Joe Choong will both make their first competitive appearances since Rio at the event. They will be joined in a high quality field by the fellow Team GB members Samantha Murray and Jamie Cooke, 2015 Junior World Champion Francesca Summers and Jo Muir who finished 5th at the Senior European Championships last July.
The competition draws top pentathletes from all over the UK, including Cambridge University duo Henry Choong and Paul Hodgson. Both will be strong contenders this weekend as Choong, younger brother of 2016 Olympian Joe, competed in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games and Hodgson is the current British Modern Pentathlon Champion.
The men’s and women’s fields contain over 20 athletes who competed internationally for Great Britain in 2016 with others harbouring the same ambitions for 2017.
Saturday’s youth ranking competition will see potential stars of the future in action with many of the athletes currently on the Pentathlon GB World Class Talent Pathway. There will also be a strong contingent from Pentathlon GB’s clubs around the country, including 6 of our 8 Pentathlon GB Academies.
In alignment with international level competitions, the Junior and Senior athletes will compete in a full modern pentathlon (fencing, swimming, riding, combined laser-run) with the Youth athletes competing in a modern tetrathlon (fencing, swimming, combined laser-run).
Results from this weekend’s ranking competitions and the second ranking events next month will be used to create the first 2017 ranking lists. These ranking lists will then provide the basis for international selection for the first few months of the season.
With such a wealth of talent on show and all athletes desperate to be selected for the 2017 season, this weekend promises to provide a great 2 days of competitive sport.
Report courtesy of Pentathlon GB
