World number one among pentathlon stars competing in British Champs at University of Bath
Kate French will go into this weekend’s British Open Modern Pentathlon Championships at the University of Bath with confidence high after finishing the 2017 UIPM World Cup series ranked as the women’s number one.
The Rio 2016 Olympian competed in three of the competitions this year, winning gold in Cairo and silver in Los Angeles as well as placing sixth in Kecskemet, Hungary.
She is among the country’s top modern pentathletes competing in the British Championships on Sunday (June 4) at the Sports Training Village, the National Training Centre for Pentathlon GB.
Admission is free to spectators, who can watch swimming in the 50m London 2012 Legacy Pool from 8.20am, fencing in the Pentathlon GB Performance Centre from 10am and the decisive laser-run at 5.23pm for women and 6.13pm for men, after which the medals will be presented. The riding section will take place at Hill House Farm near Frome.
Joining French in the line-up are fellow Olympians Samantha Murray, a former World Champion, Jamie Cooke and University of Bath sporting scholar Joe Choong, who is an ambassador for Team Bath partners MJ Church.
The world-class field will also feature Joanna Muir and Myles Pillage, who claimed mixed relay silver at the second World Cup of 2017 in March, and 2015 Junior World Champion Francesca Summers.
Muir produced her best-ever individual World Cup result when she finished tenth in Drzonkow, Poland, last weekend.
As well as the British Championships, Sunday will also see the first Laser Run City Tour event to be staged in Great Britain taking place at the University of Bath.
Laser Run is already known as the exhilarating finale to a modern pentathlon competition, where athletes are required to alternate between shooting a laser pistol and running in a fast-paced and action-packed race to the finish line.
The combined discipline has now become the latest addition to Pentathlon GB’s portfolio of sports and is open to anyone aged between nine and 90 who would like to try a new sport.
This weekend’s Laser Run is taking place on the same track and range as the British Championships and features a wide range of age groups, with the first race at 10.13am and the last at 4.13pm.
Click here for more information about the British Championships and the Laser Run City Tour.
