Eight chosen for World Cup
Pentathlon GB have confirmed their team of eight athletes that will be travelling to compete at the first UIPM World Cup of the 2021 season in Hungary next week.
Following nearly 14 months without access to international competition, the British team set to travel are excited to get the season under way. The group of four women will be Kate French, Olivia Green, Jo Muir and Francesca Summers.
While the pandemic paused competition, training at the National Training Centre has continued for Pentathlon GB’S elite athletes, and while motivation has been a challenge at times, French said: “Whilst it can be hard to stay focused when events are being cancelled, having such a long period of uninterrupted training should hopefully pay off.
“I am excited to get back competing and looking forward to the chance to expose myself to the challenges of competition and how to manage myself throughout the day.”
Both Muir and Summers will be hoping to gain crucial Olympic Ranking points in the first World Cup between March 24 and 28, with University of Bath student Green relishing the opportunity to prove herself on her individual debut.
She said: “I’m feeling really positive about the 2021 season, in particular the upcoming World Cup in Budapest. I’ve really missed the pre-competition buzz of nerves and I’m eager to get back to competing after such a long training block.”
Alongside the women, Joe Choong, Sam Curry, Jamie Cooke and Tom Toolis will be flying the flag for the men.
Like French, Jamie Cooke and Joe Choong achieved the Tokyo Qualification Standard in 2019 following gold medal-winning performances at the 2019 European Championships and the 2019 World Cup Final, respectively, and the upcoming competition in Budapest will bring a much-welcomed opportunity to start finding form in competition again.
Cooke said: “This has been the longest ever period of training, and whilst it’s been a challenge to stay motivated, it’s also been a great opportunity to work on certain areas and I’m excited to see what happens in competition.
“I think for the first World Cup it’s about just getting back out there and immersing yourself in that competition vibe again, which is impossible to replicate in training. Once that’s happened, we can start looking forward to the next comps as the season progresses.”