French, who trains with Pentathlon GB at the University of Bath, has only competed twice since winning gold in record-breaking style at the rescheduled Tokyo Games in August 2021 and took a break from the sport during 2023 to consider her future.

The lure of a third Olympics proved strong, though, and she has returned to training refreshed, recharged and fully focussed on competing at Paris 2024 in six months’ time – although she admits it will be a big challenge.

“I didn’t want to regret not trying,” said French, who also competed at Rio 2016, placing fifth. “I don’t know what’s going to happen this year, whether I will be good enough or not, but I didn’t want to be watching the Games this summer and feel like I hadn’t given it a go.

“I started training towards the end of August and have built back very gradually. I’m enjoying it and I think I’m doing OK so far. There have been ups and downs, as there always are, but the main thing I am trying to do this year is enjoy the journey. That is my focus and hopefully the results will come.

“The dream is to try and defend my title but first I need to qualify! It’s going to be very, very tough. There is a lot of strength and depth in the women’s programme but that has always been the challenge with the British squad, not just qualifying but being selected. It’s no different this year.”

French took a short break after the Tokyo Games before competing twice during the 2022 season, winning bronze at the UIPM World Cup in Turkey and placing fifth at the European Championships in Hungary.

She won team gold at the latter event with Charlie Follett and Jo Muir but elected to take time out during 2023, missing the chance to compete in a home World Championships at the University of Bath, to focus on her future.

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do post pentathlon or whether I should give Paris a go, and there was everything that was going on with pentathlon as a sport too,” said French. “I just wanted to take a step back and figure it all out.

“My coaches and I decided I needed a proper break. I was an occasional fencing partner for the girls but didn’t do any training, just some running for fitness and enjoyment. It was really nice to have that space and I am very grateful for the continued support of UK Sport and the National Lottery which allowed me to take the necessary time off.

“My husband and I own a property management company in Bath, which is doing really well, and I got more involved with that. I did some corporate events too and travelled with some of the younger Pentathlon GB athletes to the U17 and U19 World Championships which was really fun.

“I kept thinking about Paris, though, and decided I had to give it a go. It’s one year of training, the last year of pentathlon as we currently know it, and I want to give it my all.”

With team-mates Olivia Green and Kerenza Bryson having already secured Team GB’s two women’s Olympic quota places for Paris 2024, French’s qualification route – and chance to put herself in the mix for one of those two spots – comes via the UIPM World Ranking list and her performances on the World Cup circuit.

Before those all-important competitions begin in Cairo, Egypt in early March, French will have an early test at the Hungarian Indoor Open in Budapest from 8-12 February.

“I really don’t know what to expect over the next few months so Budapest will be a good indication of where I am,” she said. “I have a really positive team around me and I’m fortunate to have some fantastic support from LinkFX and MiPermit, which adds another layer of confidence and encouragement to my journey.

Follow the progress of Bath-based athletes on the road to Paris 2024 at teambath.com/Paris-2024.

With thanks to Team Bath

Pentathlon GB’s Kerenza Bryson, Olivia Green, Jess Varley and Emma Whitaker all successfully negotiated the semi-finals and will be joined in the gold-medal showdown by defending champion Elena Micheli, of Italy, and 2013 World Champion Laura Asadauskaite, who won gold on her two previous visits to the Team Bath Sports Training Village for the 2015 and 2019 European Championships.

Saturday sees the men bid for a place in Sunday’s finals, with University of Bath student Charlie Brown contesting Semi-Final A in the morning followed by defending champion Joe Choong and Myles Pillage representing the host nation in Semi-Final B in the afternoon.

An excellent performance in Thursday’s fencing ranking, which saw her win 20 of her 36 bouts, put Varley – who studied Natural Sciences at the University – in a strong position in the Women’s Semi-Final A but Sports Performance graduate Whitaker had work to do after recording 15 wins.

She recorded the sixth-fastest 200m freestyle time in the swimming pool to move up the rankings to 11th, while Varley started the decisive run-shoot in fifth.

Both fed off the roar of the home crowd to secure their place in the top nine, Whitaker leaping into Varley’s arms as she crossed the finish line in seventh spot.

Varley was among four athletes at the head of the field, along with Egypt’s Salma Abdelmaksoud, Hungary’s Michelle Gulyas and Alice Sotero of Italy, while Lithuaniua’s Asadauskaite moved through the field to sixth, but France’s Elodie Clouvel, the Rio 2016 Olympic silver-medallist, missed out on progressing despite starting the run-shoot with a 10-second lead.

Semi-Final B saw defending champion Micheli build on a fine fencing performance with the second-fastest swim to go into the run-shoot joint first with South Korea’s Sunwoo Kim. Green was in a group of athletes eight seconds behind while Bryson started 29 seconds behind the leaders in 11th.

A fantastic first shoot saw her move up seventh and she was able to join Green in the leading pack, safely away from danger. The Brits eventually crossed the line together in sixth and seventh, with Micheli and Mexico’s Mariana Arceo leading the athletes home.

Tickets for the semi-final on Saturday and Finals Day on Sunday, as well as the mixed relay on Bank Holiday Monday, are available at wch2023.org. Spectators can also have a go at the pentathlon disciplines in the Try Zone on the indoor tennis courts.

With thanks to Team Bath

Racers of all ages and abilities competed for world titles in 37 categories, from under-9s through to over-70s, including, for the first time, three Para Laser Run categories.

Gold medals went to athletes from 10 different countries, Egypt being the most prolific nation with 12 of them. That included both the women’s and men’s LR4 (wheelchair) champions, Hanin Elkhouly and Abdullah Abdelmawla.

The host nation won seven titles, four of them in the mixed relays on the last day of competition, while the senior crowns went to Elzbieta Adomaityte of Lithuania (women), Spain’s Pau Salomo (men) and Switzerland’s Katharina Jurt and Alexandre Dallenbach (mixed relay).

All of the action took place on the athletics in-field at the Team Bath Sports Training Village, which has been transformed into a pentathlon arena for the World Championships.

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann said: “In the past three days in Bath we saw a fantastic presentation of the UIPM Laser Run World Championships for all generations, from U9 to Masters. This was a universal celebration of the glory of sport.

“We have fantastic facilities here at the University of Bath, and we had athletes competing and cheering each other on surrounded by parents and coaches. Laser Run is a very special pillar of our UIPM movement as a popular urban sport.

“The UIPM Para Laser Run World Championships for wheelchair athlete and other classifications took place this morning and it was clear that the level is growing. It is fantastic that our movement is taking care of Para Pentathlon athletes and making sure our sport is as inclusive as possible.”

Focus now turns to the UIPM Pentathlon World Championships, which run from 22-28 August at the University, home to Pentathlon GB’s National Training Centre.

The women’s and men’s relays get the action under way today (Tuesday), followed by the women’s and men’s individual competitions whose finals take place on Sunday 27th. The mixed relay completes nine days of world-class sport on Monday 28th.

Tickets are available at wch2023.org.

With thanks to Team Bath

Reigning World and Olympic Champion Joe Choong will be bidding to defend his crown when the Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualifying event takes place at the University of Bath from 19-28 August.

He will be joined in the men’s squad by Myles Pillage and Charlie Brown, who won team gold with Choong for Team GB at the recent European Games, as well as Ross Charlton who placed fifth at last month’s European Junior Championships.

In the women’s squad are OIivia Green and Jess Varley, who helped GB win team gold at last year’s World Championships in Alexandria, Egypt. Kerenza Bryson, a World Cup winner earlier this season, and Emma Whitaker – named as the world’s Best Junior Female Pentathlete of 2022 by pentathlon governing body UIPM – complete a strong individual line-up.

Pentathlon GB will also contest the relay events, with both the men’s and women’s titles being decided during an action-packed Family Day on Tuesday 22nd August. Guy Anderson and Sam Curry will line up in the men’s event, while Alex Bousfield and Gina Speakman – a former laser-run competitor who will be making her senior pentathlon debut – will represent the hosts in the women’s. A GB partnership will also contest the mixed relay, which conclude the championships on Monday 28th August.

This will be a third international event on home soil for Choong after Bath successfully hosted the European Championships in 2015 and 2019.

“I achieved the Olympic qualifying standard for Rio in 2015 and won men’s team gold in 2019, so I have very fond memories of competing here in front of a home crowd,” said Choong, who has won silver medals at the World Cup Final and European Games so far this season.

“It is always an honour to represent your country but to be going into a home World Championships as the defending champion is a particularly special moment. We are taking on the very best in the world and the standard of competition is going to be intense, especially with the Paris Olympics just a year away, but the support from the home fans will give us an extra boost.”

Jon Pett, Pentathlon GB Performance Director, added: “To host a World Championships is always special, and even more so as we approach the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the aim of retaining both gold medals from Tokyo.

“We have selected a strong squad who have all shown strong development and achieved their own successes in 2023, and a team that will be looking to push for both podium places and Olympic qualification to add to the two quota slots achieved at the European Games.

“With entries across the full event programme we hope to give everyone something to celebrate and I’m excited to see what our team can deliver in front of their families and hopefully a large partisan crowd!”

This year’s Modern Pentathlon World Championships are the first to be staged in Britain since 2009 and will be contested in the new 90-minute format. Spectators will be able to watch the fencing, horse-riding and laser run live from their seats in an outdoor arena at the Team Bath Sports Training Village, while the swimming section – taking place in the University’s Olympic-sized pool – will be broadcast via a large video screen in the stadium.

Interactive ‘have a go’ sessions will run alongside the competitive events to give spectators the chance to discover the five pentathlon disciplines for themselves.

The pentathlon competition will be preceded from 19-21 August by the UIPM Laser Run World Championships, taking place in Britain for the first time. They combine running and shooting in fast-paced races and will include a Para Laser Run category.

Daily tickets are priced from just £5, with entry to Pentathlon Finals Day on Sunday 27th August – when both the men’s and women’s champions will be crowned – priced from £15 for adults and £5 concessions. All tickets in the accessible stand are £5 throughout the event. Visit www.wch23.org to buy tickets.

Selected athletes (including hometown)

Men’s team

Charlie Brown | Kidderminster, Worcestershire.
Ross Charlton | Morpeth, Northumberland.
Joe Choong | Orpington, Kent.
Myles Pillage | Plymouth, Devon.
Guy Anderson (relay) | Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire.
Sam Curry (relay) | Salfords, Surrey.

Women’s team

Kerenza Bryson | Plymouth, Devon.
Olivia Green | Oldham, Lancashire.
Jess Varley | Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire.
Emma Whitaker | Lancaster, Lancashire.
Alex Bousfield (relay) | Tring, Hertfordshire.
Gina Speakman (relay) | Halifax, West Yorkshire.

World Championships schedule (Modern Pentathlon unless stated)

Saturday 19th August 2023 – Laser Run World Championships – individual.
Sunday 20th August 2023 – Laser Run World Championships – individual.
Monday 21st August 2023 – Laser Run World Championships – relays and para laser run.
Tuesday 22nd August 2023 – men’s and women’s relays (family day).
Wednesday 23rd August 2023 – women’s qualification round.
Thursday 24th August 2023 – men’s qualification round.
Friday 25th August 2023 – women’s semi-finals.
Saturday 26th August 2023 – men’s semi-finals.
Sunday 27th August 2023 – women’s final, men’s final.
Monday 28th August 2023 – mixed relay.

With thanks to Team Bath

From providing a warm welcome to international athletes as they arrive in the host city to helping competition days run smoothly and ensuring spectators have a fun and safe time, the army of volunteers have an essential role to play in ensuring the championships – taking place from 19th to 28th August – are an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.

Among those looking forward to playing their part in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualifying event is 20-year-old Freddie Goodway, a keen runner and budding triathlete who was the 100th volunteer to sign up for the championships.

His involvement with the athletics club at Swansea University, where he is studying Accounting and Finance, led Freddie to volunteer at the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) Cross Country Championships earlier this year – an experience he enjoyed so much that he was inspired to apply to volunteer at the World Championships back in his hometown of Bath.

“As a volunteer you get the opportunity to help deliver a major sporting event so there’s an extra level of involvement which is fun and exciting,” he said. “Not only that, the social side can be great as you’re bound to meet lots of new people who share common interests. The experience is also really good for developing the skills that can help with career prospects.”

While it will be a first international sporting event for Freddie, the Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships will mark an impressive 20 years of volunteering for Annie Thomas dating back to the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

The retired PE teacher from Hertfordshire was also a Gamesmaker at London 2012 and volunteered at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, having been involved with the Gold Coast 2018 Games in Australia.

“Volunteering lets me visit new places while having a reason or purpose for being there, not just as a tourist,” said Annie. “It’s lovely to feel properly useful and I’ve made many new friends through the events where I’ve worked.

“I’ve seen the enormous difference the volunteers make to an event and nine times out of ten the event wouldn’t be able to go ahead without them. It’s wonderful to work with people who really appreciate you and your contribution.”

Working alongside event organisers in the search for volunteers is volunteering partner The Waiting Game, a Bristol-based temporary staffing agency that provides support for large-scale events and is committed to ensuring wellbeing and quality of experience.

Rebecca Leach, 2023 Laser Run and Modern Pentathlon World Championship Event Director, said: “A huge thank you to everyone who has applied to be a volunteer, either directly or through The Waiting Game. They come from a wide and varied background, from those with lots of experience volunteering at sports events to local residents with no links to pentathlon but a passion to help deliver a world-class event in their home city.

“We still need more people to get involved, so if you can spare some time this August please visit pentathlongb.org/2023wch-volunteering for more information and to express an interest. There is a role suitable for everyone!”

Tickets for the World Championships – being staged at the University of Bath, home to Pentathlon GB – are on sale now priced from just £5. Entry to Pentathlon Finals Day on Sunday 27th August, when both the men’s and women’s champions will be crowned, is priced from £15 for adults and £5 concessions. All tickets in the accessible stand are £5 throughout the event. Visit www.wch2023.org to buy tickets.

 There was more gold for Britain in the women’s final as Olivia Green, Jess Varley and Charlie Follett all recorded terrific top-10 finishes to secure the team title.

 Reigning Olympic Champion Choong, who also won gold at the 2019 World Cup Final, dominated the men’s final, building on his lead from the fencing ranking round by producing a perfect ride and the third-fastest time in the swimming pool to start the laser-run with a 20-second lead.

Home athlete Mohamed Elgendy managed to close to within four seconds going into the final shoot but Choong had left more than enough in the tank to sprint over the finish line and add World Championships gold to his Olympic title.

“I have the set now, so I’m pretty pleased,” said a beaming Choong, who won silver when Britain last contested the World Championships in 2019.

“Ever since I was a kid I’ve always wanted to say I was the best in the world at something. I won the Olympics, and that’s the biggest thing you can do, but World Champion means you are literally number one in the world.

“I took a lot of time out after the Olympics, which I needed mentally, and this was the first competition where I have felt anywhere close to the level I had at Tokyo. I’ve been super-focussed and it’s been a nice competition.”

Pentathlon GB Performance Director Jon Pett told UIPM TV: “For Joe to win his first world title is brilliant. We’re building to Paris 2024 and defending his Olympic title, and now he’s the World Champion – what a place to be.”

Pentathlon GB will host the next edition of the UIPM Pentathlon and Laser-Run World Championships, taking place at the University of Bath in August 2023 and doubling as a qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Story of the day – women’s final 

Olivia Green was the highest-ranked Brit going into Saturday’s final, starting the day in sixth following her 19 wins from 35 bouts in Thursday’s fencing ranking round. Charlie Follett, with 18 wins, was 14^th but just five pentathlon points behind while Jess Varley was 16^th after recording 15 victories.

As in the men’s final, more than half of the competitors recorded a perfect round in the riding including a faultless Follett, while Green and Varley picked up just one obstacle penalty each to score 293 points apiece.

Follett’s climb up the rankings continued in the swimming pool as her time of 2:15.39, the fifth-fastest of the final, moved her to sixth in the overall standings. Green – the only Brit to add additional points in the fencing bonus round, recording one win – touched the wall in 2:17.15 and Varley was just behind her in 2:18.04, meaning they started the laser-run eighth and 15^th respectively.

Italy’s Elena Micheli and Hungary’s Michelle Gulyas quickly pulled clear of the field, going on to win gold and silver respectively, but Green found herself in the hunt for bronze after a brilliant start to the laser-run. After a third rapid-fire visit to the shooting range, she emerged three seconds clear of World Cup Final champion Elodie Clouvel in third place.

The final shoot proved tense for both and allowed other athletes to join the podium-chasing pack, including Turkey’s Ilke Ozyuksel who went on to take bronze. Green left the range in sixth but produced a sprint to cross the line in fifth – her best-ever finish in a senior international women’s individual final.

World Cup Final silver-medallist Varley once again produced an excellent laser-run, clocking the second-fastest time of 11:18.50, but had to settle for seventh on this occasion. Follett crossed the line in 10^th and the Brits’ combined scores ensured they took the team title with 4,161 points, well clear of second-placed South Korea.

Story of the day – men’s final 

With his excellent return of 24 victories and just 11 defeats during Wednesday’s fencing ranking round carrying over, it meant Joe Choong went into the final in a three-way tie for first place with Pele Uibel of Germany and South Korea’s Jinhwa Jung.

Both Choong and Uibel were among 10 pentathletes to record maximum points in Saturday’s opening discipline, producing perfect rides to add 300 to their tallies and strengthen their position at the front of the field.

Choong edged his nose in front by picking up two more victories in the fencing bonus round before stretching his advantage with an excellent swim, his 200m freestyle time of 2:01.12 only being bettered by two other athletes in the 18-man field.

That meant he started the laser-run with a healthy 20-second advantage over Uibel and third-placed Mohamed Elgendy of host country Egypt, brother of Olympic silver-medallist Ahmed.

Elgendy quickly moved up to second and gradually ate away at the Brit’s lead, closing to within four seconds going into the final shoot, but Choong had conserved his energy well and was able to sprint over the finish line to take gold in magnificent style. Elgendy was a couple of seconds back and Hungary’s Balazs Szep completed the podium after an outstanding laser-run, moving up from 11^th to third.

With thanks to the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight Ltd

Joe Choong, Jamie Cooke, Kate French and Jo Muir – who all train with Pentathlon GB at the University – were this week officially selected for the rescheduled Games, which begin in four weeks’ time.

They, along with reserves Francesca Summers and Tom Toolis, took time out of their Tokyo preparations to meet Professor White and share their excitement at being selected, as well as provide an insight into their training at the Team Bath Sports Training Village.

Professor White said: “It’s lovely to meet with you all. I had the privilege of watching one or two of you at the European Championships here in 2019. It’s just wonderful to see your collective and individual success, and I really hope it continues in spades in the coming weeks and months.”

Cooke, who won the men’s title when the University of Bath hosted the 2019 European Championships, shared the group’s gratitude at being able to continue training at the STV during the pandemic through the Government’s elite-sport return to training protocol.

“We were really privileged to be able to train here at the University during lockdown and we’ve been able to put in quite a decent block which is shown by the performances, particularly from the women’s squad who have smashed it this year,” he said.

Joining Professor White and the Tokyo-bound athletes were University of Bath Director of Sport Stephen Baddeley, Pentathlon GB CEO Sara Heath and Pentathlon GB Performance Director Jan Bartu, a member of the University of Bath Hall of Fame for Sport.

Bartu has been with Pentathlon GB throughout the 22 years its National Training Centre has been based at the University, during which time his athletes have won five Olympic medals – gold for Steph Cook, silver for Heather Fell and Samantha Murray, and bronze for Kate Allenby and Georgina Harland – plus a host of World and European titles.

“Thank you for visiting the team,” he said. “We have been based at the University of Bath since 1999 and it has been quite a journey for all of us, not just the athletes but also the coaches working closely with the sports department here. It has been a fantastic collaboration.”

Pentathletes have access to a fencing salle, indoor and outdoor shooting ranges, Olympic-sized swimming pool, indoor and outdoor athletics tracks, and a high-performance gym at the Sports Training Village, as well as on-site physio and sport science support from both Team Bath and the English Institute of Sport (EIS).

Many pentathletes take the opportunity to combine their elite-level training with study at the University, with Choong (Mathematics), French, Muir (both Sports Performance) and Toolis (Sport & Exercise Science) all graduates. Find out more about modern pentathlon at the University of Bath by visiting www.teambath.com/modern-pentathlon.

Fourteen University-based sportspeople have now been officially selected by Team GB for the Tokyo Olympic Games, with the pentathletes joining nine swimmers and triathlete Vicky Holland. Team Bath judoka Ben Fletcher, Megan Fletcher (both Ireland) and Prisca Awiti-Alcaraz (Mexico) have all officially qualified through the world judo rankings.

Stay up-to-date with all the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic news and selections at teambath.com/Tokyo2020.

Courtesy of the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight

Following what can only be described as an exceptional season for the British modern pentathlon team, Rio 2016 Olympians, Kate French, Joseph Choong and James Cooke will once again return to compete for Team GB this summer, whilst debutant Joanna Muir completes the team travelling to Tokyo.

Experienced athlete French, who placed fifth in Rio, comes fresh off the back of a sensational 2021 season, in which she has dominated the competition. The 2019 European silver medallist has not only secured three international medals in 2021 – including winning the UIPM’s World Cup Final in Hungary – but the 30-year-old also set a new Women’s World Record in the fencing discipline (31 victories to four defeats) – a feat that now matches the men’s record.

Muir has also enjoyed podium success this year – joining French in a British 1-2 at the opening World Cup in Budapest, before going on to finish on the extended podium at every UIPM World Cup competition. Her consistency across the 2021 season not only earned Muir Olympic qualification for Tokyo, but also placed the Scottish-born athlete number one on the UIPM’s World Cup Ranking list this year.

James Cooke will be looking forward to once again competing on the Olympic stage. Despite not being amongst the medal winners on his Olympic debut in Rio, Cooke set a new Olympic Modern Pentathlon swim record with a time of 1:55:60 and since then the Salisbury-born athlete has gone from strength to strength. After a dramatic sprint finish, in 2018 he became the first British man in over a quarter of a century to be crowned Modern Pentathlon World Champion before producing a near perfect performance in the European Championships in Bath in 2019 to take the gold medal in front of a home crowd, and with it the Olympic qualification criteria for Tokyo 2020.

As one of the youngest in the field in Rio, Choong finished tenth on his Olympic debut as a fresh-faced 21-year-old. Now, with a wealth of experience and podiums to his name, Choong relishes the opportunity to test himself once again on the Olympic stage. Completing what was arguably his best season to date, Choong secured his Olympic qualification for Tokyo in impressive fashion, winning gold at the UIPM’s World Cup Final in 2019 and in doing so securing himself the title of World number one. The Bath-based athlete reminded the world of his credentials across the five disciplines at World Cup 3 in Sofia, after a dominant performance in challenging conditions earnt him another gold medal.

Team GB Chef de Mission for the Tokyo Olympic Games, Mark England, said: “This team has put in some incredibly strong performances this season and they are fully deserving of their selection to Team GB for the Tokyo Olympic Games. They, along with so many other Team GB athletes, have demonstrated the determination and commitment required to perform at the highest level despite the challenging circumstances that everyone has faced over the last thirteen months.

“I’d like to congratulate them all on this superb achievement and look forward to welcoming them to Tokyo next month.”

Jan Bartu, Pentathlon GB’s Performance Director said: “It has been remarkable return to competition for our British pentathletes this year. Despite the long break from competition, the team have trained well in challenging circumstances and continued to perform well on the international stage.

Despite not being able to conclude the Olympic Games qualification season for reasons beyond our control, the athletes still achieved the UIPM Olympic Games Qualification Standard, confirming the strength and depth of the team and the Performance Programme at Pentathlon GB, and I want to take the opportunity to congratulate the whole squad and coaches on this achievement. I also want to thank the whole team of staff who have supported the athletes, particularly over the past year and throughout the pandemic.

The team selected have proven form and experience and are looking forward to representing Team GB in Tokyo, but we still have more preparation to do at home in Bath, and will continue to focus on doing everything we can to ensure we are as ready as we can be when the Games come around.”

Courtesy of Pentathlon GB

With the 2021 World Cup competitions confirmed as events in which Olympic Ranking points are available, the competition in Sofia will be another chance for the British athletes chasing qualification for Tokyo to cement their position on the UIPM’s Olympic Ranking list.

Two athletes returning to World Cup 3 in Sofia to do just that will be Francesca Summers and Jo Muir. Both athletes have secured top 10 finishes in both of the first two events of the season, with Muir earning herself a Silver in Budapest, and have rightfully been rewarded for their consistency, finding themselves in 2nd and 5th on the Olympic Ranking List.

Jessica Varley will also be competing at World Cup 3, after she made her 2021 season debut last week. The 11th place finish, after nearly 14months away from competition, will certainly have given Varley confidence as she continues her 2021 season on Wednesday.

Kate French returns to the UK after back-to-back medal winning performances and taking her place to complete the team in World Cup 3 will be Olivia Green. Green made an excellent start to the 2021 season in Budapest. Making her individual world cup debut, Green put on a resilient performance in the individual competition, and despite not qualifying for the final, more than made up for her disappointment by taking the Gold in the mixed relay with Joe Choong. With crucial experience now under her belt, Green will be looking to apply herself as she returns to the team in World Cup 3.

The men’s team that competed at World Cup 2 remains unchanged ahead of World Cup 3.

Fresh off his 6th place finish, Tom Toolis will be looking to replicate his success from last week and hoping he can go one step further to challenge for a medal after he was so close at World Cup 2. He too will be looking to earn important Olympic ranking points, now finding himself ranked 15th overall.

Curry too returns after a personal best and top 10 finish in Budapest was backed up by a 16th place finish in Sofia. In both competitions Curry has not only produced solid performances across the disciplines but has regularly found himself amongst the highest scoring at various points across the day – including a clear round in Sofia.

Joining his teammates, Joe Choong will be hoping for a more settled performance after his 2021 season seems to have been a tale of highs and lows so far. A disappointing 32nd place finish at World Cup 1, was immediately rectified by a Gold medal in the Mixed Relay at the same event. The Rio Olympian took the time to reset and refocus ahead of Sofia and despite an excellent start and finish at World Cup 2, penalties picked up in the ride, saw Choong lose position and finish 15th overall. Having spent so long away from competition, World Cup 3 offers Choong the chance to put together the complete performance he is looking for as he prepares for Tokyo later in the year.

And finally, also hoping for more luck at this week’s event is Jamie Cooke. A 16th place finish at World Cup 1 – which agonisingly saw Cooke have to relinquish places in the final lap of the laser run due to injury – was followed by difficulties in the final shoot at World Cup 2 denying him a place in the final.
World Cup 3 in Sofia begins on Thursday (15th April) with the Women’s semi-final, followed by the Men’s semi-final on Friday (16th April). Respective finals will follow on Saturday 17th April (Women) and Sunday 18th April (Men).

Pentathlon GB will be sharing updates throughout both the finals on our twitter page. Fans can also cheer the team on via UIPM TV; with live streams of the fencing bonus round, the riding and the Laser Run available to watch.

Courtesy of Pentathlon GB

Despite a challenging day, French was able to maintain her focus ahead of the laser run, where she put on a sensational performance to make up her 21 second handicap and move from 6th place to head of the race ahead of the final shoot. An exhilarating battle with Marie Oteiza from France, including light-for-light shooting, made for an exciting watch for the coaches and support staff permitted to attend the closed event in Sofia.

Whilst a second Gold was just out of reach, the back-to-back podium for French, is yet another example of the form she finds herself in as she moves towards Tokyo in the summer.

Speaking of her achievement, French said “I’m really pleased. It’s been quite a tough day – nothing had been easy – but I’m just really pleased with 2nd place.”

Fellow Brits, Jo Muir, Francesca Summers and Jess Varley also found success throughout the day, with all three finishing in the top 11.

Pentathlon GB’s Performance Director, Jan Bartu was incredibly pleased with all four British women’s performances

“It was another excellent performance from Kate. She showed consistency, focus and self- confidence throughout the day. To secure another podium and know we still have some room for improvement, is a great place to be ahead of our journey towards Tokyo”.

With the World Cup series providing crucial Olympic Ranking points, today’s results for Muir, Summers and Varley are another step towards the elusive hunt for quota places for Tokyo.

Tomorrow, Joe Choong, Sam Curry and Tom Toolis will compete in the Men’s finals.

Women’s final – Story of the day

The British quartet started well in the pool, amongst a high calibre group of athletes who had made the final. Varley and Summers matching their semi-final swim times of 02:20.28 (18th) and 02:23.65 (28th), whilst French (02:18.65) and Muir (02:15.12) improved theirs to finish 14th and 9th.

All four athletes also moved through the fencing with confidence too. Muir and Varley both produced 19V/16D for 13th and 14th position respectively, but it was French and Summers who really found form on the piste. Both Brits produced dominant displays of technique and guile producing final scores of 22V/13D, finishing the discipline 2nd and 3rd respectively, after French stole 3 additional points in the fencing bonus round.

Ahead of the ride, French (2nd), Summers (5th) and Muir (9th) sat in top 10 positions, with Varley – competing in her first final of 2021 – finding herself in a solid 18th.

With only a handful of athletes having gone clear, negotiating the riding course was going to prove critical ahead of the laser run and the British athletes certainly demonstrated some top calibre during their rides.

First up was Varley, who put on a beautiful display of horsemanship, carefully and calmly coaxing her horse around the course to achieve maximum points and 1st place with an elusive clear. Muir too had a successful ride, picking up just one obstacle penalty to finish 9th (293pts).

Summers and French were both put to the test as both riders found themselves being challenged early on by their horses. Despite the difficulty, neither rider looked phased and whilst both picked up penalties, they certainly did enough to minimise the damage with confident and collected riding displayed by both (French – 2 obstacles, 286, 22nd, Summers – 3 obstacles and 1 time penalty, 272, 31st).

The results in the ride had set up an interesting final combined event, with the British athletes all having work to do to if they wanted to contend for medals or top 10 positions; French (6th), Muir (8th), Varley (10th), Summers (18th).

Varley held position well throughout the race (12:36.60), holding off several challenges throughout, until teammate Summers just pushed ahead after making a remarkable dash from 18th to 10th ahead of the final shoot. Having steadily made her way up through the pack during the first few laps, Summers put on one final push to produce the 4th fastest run of the day (12:14.20) and secure herself another top 10 finish.

Muir too made up positions early and soon had her eye on a podium spot. Despite making up some fantastic shooting and determined pacing out on the course, the gap to third was just a little too much to find for the Scottish athlete, but with a time of 12:25.00 (6th fastest), a fourth- place finish was a fantastic final result.

But it was out in front where the real drama unfolders. Having started 21 seconds after the leader, Marie Oteiza (France), French’s sub-10 second shooting and determined running saw her swiftly move into 2nd place where an exhilarating battle for 1st and 2nd with Oteiza began.

The Brit moved into the lead during the penultimate run, but with the French competitor never far from her shoulder it would come down to the final shoot to determine the Gold and Silver medals. A minor pause in her final shoot, saw French lose her slight advantage over Oteiza, and with the two competitors now shooting light for light it really was a case of who would blink first.

The Frenchwoman just managed to get away from the range first, and with a clear track ahead opened the gap between herself and French in the final 300m. Whilst Gold was just out of reach for French, the Silver medal in Sofia is a well-earned result for the Brit, as she secures back-to-back World Cup medals, proving her incredible form in an important year ahead of Tokyo.

Courtesy of Pentathlon GB