Choong completes medal collection
Pentathlon GB’S Joe Choong has completed his collection of global titles – and achieved a childhood dream – after winning gold in outstanding fashion at the UIPM 2022 Pentathlon World Championships in Alexandria, Egypt on Saturday.
There was more gold for Britain in the women’s final as Olivia Green, Jess Varley and Charlie Follett all recorded terrific top ten 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-focused 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.”
Choong and Jess Varley then added mixed relay silver to the gold medals they won on Saturday as Pentathlon GB concluded the UIPM 2022 Pentathlon World Championships in fine style.
The pair teamed up to finish runners-up to runaway leaders Woongtae Jun and Sunwoo Kim of South Korea on the last day of a busy week of competition.
Varley said: “We’re really pleased to put it all together today.
“We were a little bit tired and got off to a slow start in the fencing especially, so it’s great to come away with a medal.”
Choong added: “I’m pleased that we’ve done it but I’m also pleased that the competition is done now.”
It was a fourth medal of the season for Choong, who also won World Cup gold and silver, while World Cup Final silver-medallist Varley now has six medals on the international stage in 2022.
The next major competition is the 2022 European Championships, taking place in the Hungarian city of Székesfehérvár from September 14-18.
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.
■ Pentathlon GB have announced that they have appointed Shay Boyd as independent chair of the Stakeholder Board for the UIPM 2023 Modern Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships.
Boyd will lead the Stakeholder Board to deliver the event’s strategic objectives, with the longer-term ambitions of further driving forfollowing ward the development of the sport and realising the wider impacts of these prestigious, combined World Championships.
The innovative event will be held in August 2023 at the University of Bath, with all five pentathlon disciplines taking place at the University of Bath’s Sports Training Village and with the Modern Pentathlon World Championships being contested in the sport’s exhilarating new 90-minute format.
Boyd has sat on a number of global boards and brings with him a wealth of experience in the brand marketing, retail, licensing and ecommerce sectors.
Boyd currently runs his own consultancy business and sits on the British Lacrosse Board as an independent non-executive director.
Boyd said: “I am thrilled to be able to join the UIPM 2023 Modern Pentathlon & Laser Run World Championships Stakeholder Board as chair.
“I am looking forward to working in conjunction with partners from Pentathlon GB, UK Sport, the University of Bath and Bath & North East Somerset Council to drive the event’s strategic objectives and mission.
“The opportunity to innovate and work collaboratively will underpin our ambitions to engage and inspire participation across Modern Pentathlon’s family of sports.”
Victoria Clutterbuck, event director, UIPM 2023 Modern Pentathlon & Laser Run World Championships, added: “We are delighted to be working with Shay and drawing on his experience to help lead our Local Organising Committee as we move forward with our preparations for these exciting, innovative and world-class combined World Championships in 2023.”