Another gold for Kate French and superb silver for Tom Toolis as Pentathlon GB end stunning World Cup season in fitting style
Kate French struck gold and there was a first senior international medal for fellow University of Bath alumni Tom Toolis as Pentathlon GB’s excellent season continued at the 2021 UIPM World Cup Final in Hungary.
In-form French added to the gold and silver medals she had won on her previous World Cup outings this year with another outstanding victory, impressively overhauling a 25-second deficit going into the decisive run-shoot to secure the first World Cup Final title of her career.
“I can’t say I felt amazing today, so I’m just really happy to finish with gold,” said the Rio 2016 Olympian. “It’s been a long process to get to this point and I’m heading in the right direction, so I hope to keep training hard and aim for gold in Tokyo.”
French currently tops the women’s world ranking list and team-mate Jo Muir, a fellow Sports Performance graduate, sits second after placing sixth in Friday’s final, while Francesca Summers recorded another top-ten finish in eighth.
The men’s final on Saturday saw Sport & Exercise Science graduate Toolis produce the competition of his career to date to secure a superb silver after a string of consistent performances throughout the day.
🏅 FINAL MEDAL TABLE – SEASON 🏅
UIPM #PentathlonWorldCup 2021🇬🇧 GBR 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈🥈🥈
🇫🇷 FRA 🥇🥇
🇭🇺 HUN 🥇🥈🥈🥉🥉
🇩🇪 GER 🥇🥈🥉
🇰🇷 KOR 🥇🥉🥉
🇱🇻 LAT 🥇
🇰🇿 KAZ 🥇
🇧🇾 BLR 🥈🥈🥈🥉🥉
🇪🇬 EGY 🥈
🇨🇳 CHN 🥉
🇬🇹 GUA 🥉
🇱🇹 LTU 🥉
🇵🇱 POL 🥉 #ModernPentathlon #RoadToTokyo #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/Y9r6qHhWYt— UIPM – World Pentathlon (@WorldPentathlon) May 16, 2021
An entertaining run-shoot saw Toolis and Vallentine Prades exchange the lead twice during the race before the Frenchman produced an excellent sprint finish in the final 100m to take the title.
Silver was the best result yet for Toolis, who said: “I can’t actually believe it. This is everything I’ve wanted for this season – I’ve never got a podium before, it feels amazing!”
Jamie Cooke and Sam Curry finished 19th and 25th overall.
The weekend’s results mean that Pentathlon GB – whose National Centre has been based at the Team Bath Sports Training Village since 1998 – finished the 2021 World Cup season with five individual medals and one mixed relay gold.
Next up on the road to the Tokyo Olympic Games is the World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, from June 8-14.
Click here to find out more about modern pentathlon at the University of Bath.
Pictures credit: World Pentathlon / Virág Buza
