Six Pentathlon GB athletes have been selected for the Junior European Championships which take place in Spain next week. The final selection follows Saturday’s British Open Modern Pentathlon Championships at the University of Bath with the top three junior finishes in both genders now heading to Barcelona.
As a result, the women’s team contains Somerset’s Holly Parker, Gloucestershire’s Zoe Davison and Bristol’s Charlie Follett whilst Hampshire’s Bradley Sutton, Gloucestershire’s Jamie Harper and Plymouth’s Myles Pillage will compete in the men’s competition.
Davison and Follett have enjoyed fine seasons to date, both medalling at the Milan Kadlec Memorial in April with Zoe claiming silver and Charlie bronze. The duo matched those positions at the British Championships, with Parker claiming the Junior British title after a fine display across all five disciplines. Davison, still in her first year as a Junior athlete is the youngest member of the team heading to Spain and will be the only Pentathlon GB athlete making her Junior European Championships debut. It is the second consecutive year that Barcelona has hosted the Championships with Follett finishing 21st and Pakrer 27th twelve months ago, so both will be looking to improve on those positions with more experience behind them.
Sutton, Harper and Pillage also competed in Spain last year where University of Bath student Sutton finished 33rd, a fine effort in his first year as a junior athlete. Although that competition wasn’t so memorable for Pillage and Harper, both have enjoyed success since with Pillage claiming the British Modern Tetrathlon title earlier this year and finishing as the top British male athlete in 6th at the Milan Kadlec Memorial, a second successive top six finish at the event. TASS supported Harper qualified for the Junior World Championships final later in 2017 before finishing 17th at the Under 24 European Championships, a competition which also saw him win a brilliant bronze alongside Jess Varley in the mixed relay.
This year’s Junior European Championships begin on Sunday 17th June with women’s qualifying. The individual competitions are followed by the women’s and men’s relays before the mixed relay brings the event to a close on Saturday 23rd June.
Full team:
Charlie Follett, 21, from Bristol. Currently training at the University of Bath (National Training Centre).
Zoe Davison, 19, from Stroud, Gloucester. Currently training at the University of Bath (National Training Centre).
Holly Parker, 21, from Faulkland, Somerset. Currently training at the University of Bath (National Training Centre).
Bradley Sutton, 19, from Basingstoke, Hampshire. Currently training at the University of Bath (National Training Centre).
Myles Pillage, 20, from Plymouth, Devon. Currently training at the University of Bath (National Training Centre).
Jamie Harper 21, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Currently training at the University of Bath (National Training Centre).
Full competition schedule:
Sunday 17th June – Women’s Qualifying
Monday 18th June – Men’s Qualifying
Tuesday 19th June – Women’s Final
Wednesday 20th June – Men’s Final
Thursday 21st June – Women’s Relay
Friday 22nd June – Men’s Relay
Saturday 23rd June – Mixed Relay
Courtesy of Pentathlon GB
