BOA announces Team GB women modern pentathletes for Beijing 2008
The British Olympic Association (BOA) today announced the selection of Katy Livingston and Heather Fell as members of Team GB to compete in the women’s modern pentathlon at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Commenting on their selection:
Katy Livingston said: “I’m really excited now I’ve been selected and I’m definitely going into it with medals on my mind.
“I proved by medalling at the World Championships recently and winning a World Cup competition earlier this year that I can get on the podium in big competitions and I definitely think I can be on the podium in Beijing.
“There’s quite a lot of pressure though following the success of the other British girls at the Olympic Games in Sydney and Athens, but myself and Heather will go there and do our best.”
Heather Fell said: “Beijing could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. I’m going to try to get everything right and produce the performance of a lifetime.
“With five different sports, we all know if one goes wrong on the day, that’s it. I’m going to prepare everything 100 per cent to make the most of the opportunity.
“If I can get everything right on the day I know I have a chance of a medal, and that’s what I’m going to be completely focussed on.”
Simon Clegg, Team GB 2008 Chef de Mission, said: “I am delighted to welcome these athletes in to Team GB. Modern Pentathlon has been a very successful sport for Team GB in the past and Katy and Heather are both exciting prospects for Beijing this summer.
“I am sure that they will be looking to build upon their recent successes and I wish them well in their final preparations for the Olympic Games.”
Dominic Mahony, Team GB Modern Pentathlon Team Leader for the Beijing 2008 Olympics said: “Katy & Heather have proven with their performances both this and last year that they are outstanding athletes in a very strong pool of talented British women.
“They thoroughly deserve their selection, having won medals at this year’s World Championships in Katy’s case and at last year’s European Championships in Heather’s case.
“We’re also pleased that we have two young athletes with very real medal hopes, both in Beijing, and potentially at London 2012 too.”
Heather and Katy are currently ranked fourth and fifth in the world respectively.
Katy, aged 23 and originally from Cleveland but now living in Bath, won the individual bronze medal at last month’s World Championships in Budapest. She also won gold in the first World Cup event of 2008 in Cairo.
Heather, aged 24, lives near Tavistock in Devon. She won silver at last year’s European Championships in Latvia, before winning the World Cup in Millfield, Somerset in March. She finished fourth in the individual competition at the World Championships in Budapest at the end of last month.
Meanwhile Mhairi Spence, a 22-year-old from Inverness, now living in Bath, also achieved the Olympic qualifying standard and will travel to Beijing as reserve.
