Bath Pentathlon Club’s Sarah Wilson and Leweston Pentathlon Academy’s George Case took top honours after a highly competitive event at the opening 2019 Pentathlon GB National Youth Ranking Competition today. Held at Pentathlon GB’s National Training Centre at the University of Bath, the Under 19 competition saw some potential stars of the future in action with Trowbridge’s Wilson beating Bolton-le-Sands’ Emma Whitaker into 2nd and Cholesbury’s Alex Bousfield 3rd. In the boys’ event, Bridgehampton’s Case held off the challenge from Yorkshire duo Toby Price and Josh Hood.
Story of the Day – Girls’ Competition
The girls’ competition began in pool with the 200m swim, Yorkshire Pentathlon Club’s Olivia Herron topping the timings in 2:15.94. Plymouth College’s Georgina Mitchell (2:19.48) and Annabel Denton (2:22.43) recorded the next best times, but there was little to choose between most of the field.
The competition really began to take shape in the fencing salle, Pentathlon Hereford’s Rebecca Wreyford moving into contention by winning the discipline with 28 victories and just 10 defeats from her 28 bouts. That was one hit more than Alex Bousfield with Mitchell recording 26 hits. That meant Mitchell held a one second lead over Bousfield heading into the laser run with Denton (3rd), Whitaker (4th) and Wilson (5th) all well placed overall after top ten discipline performances in the fence.
Blustery weather made for tough conditions in the laser run but it was to be Wilson who came out on top after the quickest laser run of the day. She was followed home by Whitaker and Bousfield to complete the podium places.
Annabel Denton, who finished inside the top 10 at last October’s Youth Olympic Games, came home 4th with Leweston Pentathlon Academy’s Charlotte Hicks 5th after the third quickest laser run time. Behind them, Warwickshire’s Mitchell finished 6th with Surrey’s Isabella Summers 7th whilst Dorset’s Amy Northam, Oxfordshire’s Eda Onay and Lancashire’s Larissa Hannam rounded out the top 10 at the University of Bath.
Story of the Day – Boys’ Competition
The boys’ competition began with the fence, Hartpury College MPA’s Josh Hood coming out on top with 28 victories and 8 defeats from his 36 bouts. That saw him finish the opening discipline one victory ahead of George Case with another Hartpury student, Aurelio Calipa (25 victories), rounding out the top three.
Ashford School Pentathlon Club’s Tom Wilton topped the swim standings in 2:04.56, over six seconds clear of North Kent MPC’s Luke Fowle (2:10.98) and Yorkshire Pentathlon Club’s Toby Price (2:11.89). Case recorded the fourth quickest time to take a 25 second lead into the laser as he headed Calipa, Hood, Price and Wilton.
That gap proved to be enough with Case holding off the chasing pack to take victory with Price coming out on top in the battle for second with Hood. Pentathlon Newcastle’s Ross Charlton moved up to 4th thanks to the quickest laser run of the day with Wilton 5th and Leweston Pentathlon Academy’s Sam Cobb 6th due to another rapid effort in the final discipline.
The top ten was rounded out by London’s George Simpson, Warwickshire duo Guy Anderson and Josh Mitchell and Somerset’s Calipa.
The next Under 19 Pentathlon GB Ranking Competition month take place on Sunday February 10th, also at the University of Bath.
Courtesy of Pentathlon GB
