Pentathlon GB’s Georgina Mitchell, Zoe Davison, Olivia Green and Alexandra Bousfield all qualified for the Under 19 European Championships final on a perfect opening day of the 2017 Championships. The British quartet all had their battles at one point during the four disciplines but made it through to ensure Great Britain will have full representation in Friday’s final.
The day started with the Group A fence meaning Warwick’s Georgina Mitchell and Stroud’s Zoe Davison got things underway for the British team. Both athletes have performed incredibly well in the fencing hall this season, including when they qualified for the Under 19 World Championships final last month. Today it was Plymouth College’s Mitchell who was the leading light, picking up 13 victories from her 20 bouts to finish 2nd in the discipline standings with Wycliffe College’s Davison 36 points further back on 9 victories.
The group then moved to the swimming pool where it was 18-year-old Davison’s turn to impress as she matched Mitchell’s second place discipline finish with a stunning swim of 2:13.01. 16-year-old Mitchell also performed well with her time of 2:17.66 meaning she sat in 2nd overall after the opening two disciplines with Zoe in 7th.
With qualifying places up for grabs, things were as tense as usual in the laser run but Mitchell, who claimed victory at the British Under 19 Modern Pentathlon Championships in June, maintained her place inside the top 15 throughout to guarantee her place in the final. Davison, who was the highest placed British athlete at last month’s Under 19 World Championships slipped to 16th at the line, meaning she had to wait until the second group had finished for confirmation of her qualification. However, once all the results were in, her score was comfortably high enough to ensure she progressed to Friday’s final.
Meanwhile, Saddleworth’s Olivia Green and Cholesbury’s Alex Bousfield were both placed in qualifying group B meaning they began their day in the pool. Both girls started the day strongly with Green recording a time of 2:17.81 and Bousfield 2:18.91 meaning they were well placed after the opening discipline.
In the fencing hall, it was Dacorum MPC’s Bousfield who fared slightly better, recording 11 victories and 10 defeats from her 21 bouts with Green picking up 9 victories. It meant that 16-year-old Bousfield began the Group B laser run in 9th with Green five places behind in 14th.
Green, who is currently the British number 1 at Under 19 level having tasted victory in all three 2017 ranking competitions, consistently moved up the field during the combined running and shooting discipline, being able to ease around the final 800m loop to book her place in the last 36. Like Davison before her, Bousfield, who claimed the silver medal at the British Under 17 British Modern Tetrathlon Championships this season, finished 16th in the group standings meaning she fancied a slightly anxious wait for the final results. Once again though, 16th was more than enough to qualify for the final on points and ensured all four Pentathlon GB athletes will take their place on the start line on Friday.
Report courtesy of Pentathlon GB
