- First Senior (22+), Junior (19-21) and Under 19 Ranking Competitions take place in Bath this weekend
- Olympians Samantha Murray, Joe Choong and Jamie Cooke headline strong field
- Competitions are used for selection purposes ahead of busy 2018 season
The first 2018 Pentathlon GB Ranking Competitions take place this weekend with Great Britain’s best modern pentathletes set to do battle.
The opening Senior (22+) and Junior (19-21) ranking competition of the year takes place on Saturday with the first U19 ranking event following on Sunday. 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.
2016 Olympians Joe Choong, Jamie Cooke and Samantha Murray (pictured above) will all make their first competitive appearances of the season at the event. They will be joined in a high-quality field by Tom Toolis, who finished 20th at last year’s World Championships, 2015 Junior World Champion Francesca Summers and Jo Muir and Sam Curry who both recorded their best ever World Cup finishes during 2017, among others.
The competition draws top pentathletes from all over the UK, with athletes from Yorkshire to Devon set to compete. The men’s and women’s fields contain 20 athletes who competed internationally for Great Britain in 2017 with others harbouring the same ambitions for 2018.
Sunday’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 and academies around the country.
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 Under 19 athletes competing in a modern tetrathlon (fencing, swimming, combined laser-run).
Results from this weekend’s events along with further ranking competitions will be used to create the first Pentathlon GB ranking lists of the season. These ranking lists will then provide the basis for international selection for the first few months of the season.
Despite being early in the season, with such a wealth of talent on show and all athletes desperate to be selected for the 2018 season, this weekend promises to provide a great 2 days of competitive sport.
Full Timetables
Saturday 13th January – National Ranking Competition 1
- Fencing – 09:30
- Swimming – 12:20
- Laser-Run – 13:30
- Riding – 15:50
Sunday 14th January – National Under 19 Ranking Competition 1
- Boys’ Swimming – 08:30
- Girls’ Fencing – 08:45
- Boys’ Fencing – 12:15
- Girls’ Swimming – 12:20
- Girls’ Laser-Run – 13:35
- Boys’ Laser-Run – 15:10
Report courtesy of Pentathlon GB
