Live blog: 2019 Modern Pentathlon European Championships day four – women’s qualifying
It is the women’s turn to take centre stage at the 2019 Modern Pentathlon European Championships today as they look to book their place in Sunday’s final.
Among those looking to progress are four University of Bath graduates – Kate French, Jess Varley and Jo Muir for Pentathlon GB and Eilidh Prise for Ireland.
Francesca Summers is also representing the host nation and is in Group B along with Varley, World Champion Anastasiya Prokopenko of Belarus, defending European Champion Marie Oteiza of France and Lithuania’s Laura Asadauskaite – the London 2012 Olympic Champion and gold-medallist when Bath last hosted the European Championships in 2015.
We will be updating this page throughout the day. Don’t forget, remaining tickets for the European Championships are on sale now – click here for more information.
GROUP A
1pm – FENCING: Iryna Prasiantsova of Belarus came out on top in the fencing ranking round with an excellent 18 wins from her 24 bouts, one ahead of experienced duo Elodie Clouvel of France and home favourite Kate French.
It was a frustrating morning for Jo Muir, who won nine of her bouts to rank 22nd overall.
It has been an impressive start to the #fencing round for @PentathlonGB’s Kate French at the #ModernPentathlon European Championships #GladiatorsReturn pic.twitter.com/IFCtiqnP3E
— Team Bath (@TeamBath) August 9, 2019
3pm – SWIMMING: Russia’s Guinaz Gubaydullina went fastest in 2:10.90, just ahead of Rio 2016 silver-medallist Clouvel whose time of 2:11.08 was enough to give her the overall lead going into the laser-run.
Sarolta Kovacs of Hungary and French were third and sixth fastest respectively, in 2:12.73 and 2:15.17, to put them in the top three after two disciplines.
Muir responded brilliantly to her fencing disappointment by setting a personal best time of 2:14.02, two seconds quicker than her previous best this season, to climb up to 16th in the rankings.
Excellent swim by @PentathlonGB’s Jo Muir – 5th fastest time overall in Group A #GladiatorsReturn pic.twitter.com/XKFDW1qsL8
— Team Bath (@TeamBath) August 9, 2019
4.45pm – RUN-SHOOT: The leading pack were all able to ease through to the final, where they were joined by Muir after she ran well to move up from 16th to eighth. The other big movers were Lithuania’s Gintare Venckauskaite and Germany’s Annika Schleu, who finished third and fourth respectively.
GROUP B
12.15pm – SWIMMING: Former European Junior Champion Alice Sotero of Italy set a rapid time of 2:10.04, beating her previous best time this year by more than a second, to get her campaign off to a flying start.
Defending champion Marie Oteiza was second-fastest in 2:13.80, just two-hundredths quicker than Hungary’s Michelle Gulyas.
Britain’s Francesca Summers and Jess Varley ranked 17th and 22nd respectively after clocking 2:22.21 and 2:22.92 respectively.
World Champion Anastasiya Prokopenko and GB’s Jess Varley help get the Group B #swimming heats under way #ModernPentathlon European Championships #GladiatorsReturn pic.twitter.com/2K22RrgB5W
— Team Bath (@TeamBath) August 9, 2019
3.30pm – FENCING: Summers surged up the rankings to fifth after an excellent fencing performance in the afternoon, winning 14 of her 22 bouts.
Volha Silkina of Belarus came out on top with an impressive 16 wins, giving her the overall lead after two disciplines, and there were 15 apiece for Germany’s Rebecca Langrehr and Russia’s Uliana Batashova to put them third and second respectively heading into the laser-run.
5.45pm – RUN-SHOOT: Batashova crossed the line in first but it was 2015 European Champion Laura Asadauskaite who caught the eye as she eased through the field from ninth to second with the kind of impressive run-shoot that she is renowned for.
Both Brits were able to progress and World Champion Anastasiya Prokopenko did just enough to earn an automatic qualifying place having started the event in 22nd place.
