Modern Pentathlon World Championships less than 100 days away
The world’s top modern pentathletes will battle it out for honours in London when the World Championships get underway 99 days from today.
The event, which takes place at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, is the first World Championships in an Olympic sport to be held in London since 1986.
The World Championships run from Thursday 13th August through to Monday 17th August and will also be the first World Championships to feature the sport’s new combined run/shoot format.
Peter Hart, Pentathlon GB chief executive, said: “The World Championships are an important milestone in our preparation towards the London 2012 Olympic Games, both for athletes and officials.
“It is also exciting for us to host the first World Championships to feature the sport’s new format.”
Mhairi Spence, one of Britain’s top young pentathletes aiming to compete at the World Championships and then the 2012 Olympics, was a member of the GB team that won team silver and team relay silver at last year’s World Championships in Hungary.
She said: “I’m really excited about the World Championships.
“It’s great to have a major championships in your own country, particularly ahead of 2012. Hopefully it means we will get lots of home support.”
The modern pentathlon is one of Britain’s most successful Olympic sports and British athletes will be aiming to build on recent successes at Crystal Palace in August.
Heather Fell won the silver medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and silver at the 2008 World Cup Final. She ended 2008 ranked number one in the World. Katy Livingston won the individual bronze medal at last year’s World Championships.
Great Britain was one of just 10 nations to have the full complement of four pentathletes – two men and two women – competing at the Beijing Olympics.
The modern pentathlon is challenging and fascinating sport. Athletes have to master five very different disciplines – fencing, swimming and equestrian challenges, followed by the new climax to the event, the combined run/shoot.
Tickets for the 2009 Modern Pentathlon World Championships will go on sale shortly.
The programme for the World Championships is: Thursday 13th August: men’s qualifiers Friday 14th August: women’s qualifiers Saturday 15th August: men’s final, including team event Sunday 16th August: women’s final, including team event Monday 17th August: team relay competitions
Crystal Palace has a track record of modern pentathlon ‘firsts’. In 1977 it hosed the first international pentathlon competition in a one-day format.
Four years later Crystal Palace hosted the first Women’s World Championships.
Great Britain last hosted the Modern Pentathlon World Championships at Millfield in Somerset in 2001.
