Helping hand for pentathlete that left his rivals trailing
School coach spotted Joe Choong had innate advantage that set him on the path to gold medal
‘I noticed how well he seemed to apply himself to everything he did, he was always very calm and measured. I couldn’t flap him no matter how hard I tried’
THE first British man to win gold in the modern pentathlon was encouraged to take up the event because being left handed would “give him an advantage”, his former coach has revealed.
Joe Choong won gold yesterday at the Games, making him the first British man to win an individual Olympic medal in the sport, which has been in the programme since 1912.
It has now emerged he was encouraged to take up pentathlon by a coach at the Whitgift School, Croydon, in 2008 after he realised being left-handed would give the young athlete an advantage in fencing.
Charlie Unwin, a professional sport psychologist, noticed Choong’s talent as a swimmer when was just 13-years-old.
Mr Unwin said: “He stood out in the pool, so I convinced him to complete a “bleep” test to see if he could run – which he could.
“I also noticed he was left-handed which can offer a distinct advantage in the fencing discipline of [modern pentathlon] because by holding the weapon in the other hand it creates an unfamiliar profile for the right-handers fighting against you.
“Effectively it changes the nature of the target they are trying to hit.
“I also noticed how well he seemed to apply himself to everything he did, he was always very calm and measured. I couldn’t flap him no matter how hard I tried. I told the other coaches that we had a future Olympian Champion in our midst.”
Mr Unwin added it “didn’t take much to sell him the Olympic dream”.
Among Choong’s contemporaries at Whitgift School was Dominic Sibley, 25, the cricketer, and Elliot Daly, 28, the rugby player.
Choong, 26, from Orpington, took the gold medal following the triumph of Kate French, who won gold in the women’s competition 24 hours before. “I’ve always said I wanted to be the best in the world at something,” he told the BBC, adding that his Olympic victory was “a dream come true”.
After outstanding performances in fencing, swimming and show jumping, Choong went on to deliver a strong performance in running and shooting.
Leading the race for the three laps, he was overtaken but picked himself back up before a final push to cross the line in first place.
Joe’s mother Beverley Choong said she was “over the moon” at his success.
She watched his triumph at home on television with her husband, son and son’s girlfriend, surrounded by flags, bunting and memorabilia.
“It’s very tense watching it,” she said. Asked how she thinks her son will be feeling, she said: “I think relieved today, over the moon, I think every emotion possible. Everything he’s been working for, all the sacrifices, thankful to all his team-mates, his coaches.”
She said he will be grateful to everyone in the team as “it’s not just a oneman show”.
Ms Choong said training in five sports is “incredibly different” because you cannot just excel at one. “You’ve got to keep fit in so many ways. It’s each muscle group that needs to be fit for a different discipline,” discipline, she said. said
Boris Johnson congratulated Choong and French following their successes.
“Team GB taking Olympic gold in both men’s and women’s modern pentathlon is an incredible achievement. Joe Choong and Kate French you’ve made us very proud!” the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter.
It comes as a German modern pentathlon coach was thrown out of the Games for punching a horse during the competition.
Kim Raisner was removed from her duties following the way she tried to assist German athlete Annika Schleu as she struggled to control the horse, Saint Boy, on Friday.
Raisner was seen striking the horse above the back leg with her fist.