Stunning laser-run fires Jess Varley to silver medal as Bath students past and present impress for Pentathlon GB at Budapest Indoors

24 February 2022

University of Bath alumna Jess Varley produced a stunning laser-run to win silver for Pentathlon GB at the Budapest International Open in Hungary, the curtain-raiser for the 2022 international modern pentathlon season.

Natural Sciences graduate Varley, who won two of Pentathlon GB’s National Ranking Events at the Team Bath Sports Training Village this winter and was runner-up in the third, started the decisive discipline of the women’s A final more than a minute behind the leaders in ninth but surged through the field to take second spot behind Egypt’s Salma Abdelmaksoud.

Fellow alumna Charlie Follett placed eighth overall and Sport & Exercise Science student Olivia Green, who is supported by an Alumni Fund Sporting Scholarship, was 11th in Thursday’s final.

A delighted Varley said: “I’m really happy to come home with the silver medal. I had a bit of a disaster in the fencing ranking round, so to finish up in the medal positions was slightly surprising but I’d been in the same position in the semi-finals and in some ways I was pleased to have the opportunity to chase down the front runners. It’s really useful to know I can do that, especially going into the World Cup season.”

Politics & International Relations student Alex Bousfield won the women’s B final while fellow Bath students Guy Anderson (Accounting & Finance), Charlie Brown (Sport Management & Coaching), Ross Charlton (Sports Performance), Sam Cobb (Sport Management & Coaching) and Josh Hood (Sports Performance) also made their first appearances at the Budapest Indoor Championships in the men’s competition, gaining valuable international experience.

Read the full report from Budapest on the Pentathlon GB website – click here.

Click here to find out more about combining study and modern pentathlon at the University of Bath, home to Pentathlon GB’s national training centre.

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