First chance to stake 2020 Olympics claim as Pentathlon GB head to Tokyo test event for World Cup Final
Pentathlon GB athletes based at the University of Bath will have their first chance to set the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualifying standard when they compete in the World Cup Final in Japan this week.
The culmination of this year’s UIPM World Cup campaign is doubling as an Olympic test event and the gold medallists in the men’s and women’s individual competition will put themselves firmly in line to return to Tokyo next summer.
Mathematics graduate Joe Choong is the highest-ranked Brit in the men’s competition having won two silver medals and finished fifth in his three World Cup appearances this year.
He is joined by reigning World Champion and former World Cup winner Jamie Cooke and Tom Toolis, a Sport & Exercise Science graduate who is enjoying his best international season to date.
All three British women competing in Tokyo are ranked inside the world’s top 16 – Bath alumni Kate French and Jess Varley won gold and bronze respectively in the Czech Republic last month, while Francesca Summers had placed in the top six on all three World Cup outings this season.
The mixed relay will see World Cup 4 relay winners Jo Muir and Sam Curry team up once again for Pentathlon GB
Competition starts on Thursday with the men’s and women’s fencing ranking rounds, followed by the women’s final on Friday and men’s final on Saturday before the mixed relay concludes the event on Sunday.
There will be more Olympic qualifying places up for grabs when the 2019 Modern Pentathlon European Championships take place at the University of Bath Sports Training Village from August 6-11. Don’t miss your chance to watch potential stars of Tokyo 2020 in action a year before the Games – click here for ticket information.
