Source: Pentathlon GB

Silver medallist French to lead youthful Pentathlon GB team in Cairo

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Fresh off the back of her best ever World Cup result, Gravesend’s Kate French will lead a young Pentathlon GB team at the second World Cup of the year in Cairo. 26 year-old French will be looking to continue her fine 2017 form in the Egyptian capital after victories at both Pentathlon GB National Ranking Competitions and her silver medal in Los Angeles.

Kate French (Photo: Pentathlon GB)

French, who finished 6th at the 2016 Olympic Games, will be joined in the women’s team by Fotheringhay’s Jess Varley, Dumfries’ Jo Muir and Plymouth’s Kerenza Bryson. Another Plymouth athlete, 19 year-old Myles Pillage, will be the sole men’s representative at the second World Cup of 2017.

18 year-old Bryson will be making her modern pentathlon World Cup debut in the event and hoping to continue a good start to the 2017 season. The first year junior athlete, who is studying for her A-levels at Plymouth Studio School, is currently ranked 6th in the UK having finished in the position at both Pentathlon GB ranking competitions. Bryson also finished as the highest placed British athlete at the Hungarian Indoor Competition in late January and is currently competing for British Fencing at the Junior European Epee Championships in Bulgaria.

22 year-old Muir, who is currently ranked 4th in the UK, will be making her first international appearance of 2017. It will also be the new Dorothy House Sporting Ambassador’s first start at a major event since her magnificent 5th place finish at the 2016 European Championships in Sofia. Meanwhile Nottinghamshire’s Varley will be looking to build on her impressive World Cup debut in Los Angeles last month where the 21 year-old finished 18th in the individual Women’s event and 4th in the Mixed Relay.

 

Pillage, who transferred to Pentathlon GB’s National Training Centre in Bath last September, will be the sole British representative in the men’s field as he continues to gain experience at senior international level. The 19 year-old also made his World Cup debut in California where he competed in both the individual event and alongside Jess in the mixed Relay.

The competition is the second event of the 2017 World Cup season following last month’s opener in the USA. Further World Cups will be held in Kecskemet, Hungary (4th-8th May) and Drzonkow, Poland (25th-29th May) before the World Cup Final in Druskininkai, Lithuania from 23rd-25th June.

The event will also provide a great opportunity for athletes to get accustomed to conditions ahead of the 2017 World Championships with the year’s flagship event being held in the Egyptian capital in late August.

The schedule for World Cup 2 from Wednesday 22nd to Sunday 26th March 2017 is as follows:

  • Wednesday 22nd March – Men’s Qualification
  • Thursday 23rd March – Women’s Qualification
  • Friday 24th March – Men’s Final
  • Saturday 25th March – Women’s Final
  • Sunday 26th March – Mixed Relay

Women’s team:

  • Kate French, 26, originally from Gravesend, Kent. Currently training at Bath NTC. Rio 2016 Olympian and 2017 World Cup 1 silver medallist.
  • Jessica Varley, 21, originally from Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire. Currently training at Bath NTC. 2016 British Modern Pentathlon Champion.
  • Joanna Muir, 22, originally from Dumfries. Currently training at Bath NTC. 2016 World Championships Women’s Relay silver medallist.
  • Kerenza Bryson, 18, from Plymouth, Devon. Currently training at Plymouth Studio School. 2016 Youth A European Championships Mixed Relay bronze medallist & World Cup debutant.

Men’s team:

  • Myles Pillage, 19, originally from Plymouth, Devon. Currently training at Bath NTC. 2016 Youth A European Championships Mixed Relay bronze medallist.

Report courtesy of Pentathlon GB