Bath to host best at Gladiatorial event
Tokyo will beckon when Britain’s top athletes compete for medals at the 2019 European Modern Pentathlon Championships at the University of Bath from August 6-11. Dubbed “Gladiators Return” in recognition of the combative nature of an event in which athletes battle each other across five sports, the Championships, will double as a crucial Olympic qualifier. At this event, the public will see athletes win places for their nations at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Modern Pentathletes are amongst the fittest athletes in the world, combining speed with endurance, artistry and precision under pressure as they compete in swimming, fencing, horse-riding, running and shooting. By creating an event village with food and fun activities, organisers are determined to make this an early part of the Olympic experience with spectators able to try a laser-run, the thrilling combined running and shooting finale to modern pentathlon. The home crowd will also provide a boost for the nation’s hopefuls, including World Champion Jamie Cooke and 2018 European medallists Kate French and Joe Choong. Cooke said: “Competing on home soil is always an amazing experience. British crowds are amongst the best in the world and to have them there backing you the whole way gives you such a lift as an athlete. “What makes it even more special is having the Europeans in our home training city of Bath. “In 2015, it definitely brought us an added advantage so hopefully that will be the case again. “The Europeans are one of the first chances of qualifying for Tokyo so the competition will be incredibly fierce but we are all looking forward to the challenge”. Pentathlon GB CEO Sarah Heath added: “This is an amazing opportunity to watch and be inspired by our world class Team GB athletes as they compete to continue their dreams of competing in Tokyo in 2020. It is going to be a fantastic family friendly event and I hope we can inspire the next generation into being active and taking part in our sport.” The action starts on Tuesday and Wednesday when medals will be awarded in the men’s, women’s and mixed relays. Thursday and Friday are qualifying days for the individual events and on these days athletes will compete in fencing, swimming and the laser-run but not riding before the tempo rises again during the weekend’s big battle for individual men’s (Saturday) and women’s (Sunday) medals, featuring all five sports. Additional focus will fall on the fight for 16 Tokyo places up for grabs. Tickets are now on sale at ticketsource.co.uk/pentathlon-gb and sports fans will be able to feel part of the Olympic journey from as little as £3 for adults and £1 for under016s as world-class athletes compete in relay and individual events at the Sports Training Village.