Francesca Summers and Tom Toolis will return to the Pentathlon GB line-up for World Cup 4 as a strong looking British team heads to the Czech Republic at the end of the month. Summers and Toolis both recorded top 10 finishes at the opening two World Cups before being rested for the third leg of the WC series in Szekesfehervar last week.
The duo form part of an 8-strong team heading to Prague high on confidence after a string of impressive results so far this season. Summers will be joined by current European medallist Kate French, as well as, Jessica Varley and Joanna Muir who both recorded their best ever World Cup finishes at WC3.
Meanwhile, the men’s team is completed by reigning World Champion Jamie Cooke, 2018 European medallist Joe Choong and Salfords’ Sam Curry, who made his first World Cup final of the season last week in Hungary.
Heading into the season, Scotland’s Muir had only ever recorded one individual World Cup top 10 finish in her career. However, after a hugely impressive victory at the Budapest Indoor Competition in January, the 24-year-old has gone from strength-to-strength with 8th and 9th places in her two World Cup appearances so far in 2019. Muir was joined in the top 10 by fellow 24-year-old Varley in Hungary, the Fotheringhay born athlete finishing 7th after a hugely impressive display on her first World Cup appearance of the season.
Current European medallist and Rio Olympian French hasn’t quite hit those heights yet in 2019. However, the 28-year-old’s 2018 season sprung into life at the final World Cup when she took gold in Sofia and will be hoping for a return to that sort of form in Prague 12 months on.
Finding form was something World Champion Cooke achieved last time out in Hungary. After a quiet 6 months following his stunning success in Mexico City, the 28-year-old teamed up with Francesca Summers to take mixed relay silver at World Cup 2 before finishing 4th in the men’s individual competition at World Cup 3 as he reminded the modern pentathlon world on his talent. Fellow Rio Olympian Choong followed his teammate across the line in Hungary to make it two British athletes on the wider podium. That continued a fine 2019 season for the 23-year-old after bronze at the Budapest Indoor Competition in January and silver at World Cup 2, before he notched another 5th place in the World Cup 3 mixed relay alongside WC debutant Olivia Green.
Salfords’ Curry has had injury problems over the past 12 months but showed signs of returning to his best form in Hungary as he comfortably qualified for the final in a field containing 100 athletes. The 25-year-old will be looking to continue that progression in Prague in what promises to be another extremely high-quality field.
The final World Cup of the regular season is the last event before the Olympic Qualifying window opens on June 1st. It is also the final chance for athletes to qualify for the World Cup final in Tokyo from 27th-30th June 2019 which means athletes will be keen to lay down a marker to their rivals.
The competition begins with women’s qualifying on Thursday 23rd May and concludes with the mixed relay on Monday 27th May where Jo Muir and Jamie Cooke will team up for Pentathlon GB.
Courtesy of Pentathlon GB
