Oldhamer Olivia gears up for World Championships challenge

Pentathlon GB have announced a 12-strong ‘home’ team for the forthcoming UIPM Modern Pentathlon World Championships 2023, and Oldhamer Olivia Green has been included.

The showpiece event will be taking place at their Bath National Training Centre next month.

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 August 19-28.

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 local star OIivia 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, August 22.

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.

Jon Pett, Pentathlon GB Performance Director, said: “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.

Daily tickets are priced from just £5, with entry to Pentathlon Finals Day on Sunday, August 27 – 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.

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