Olympian and University of Bath alumna Jo Muir “happy, content and excited” after announcing retirement from modern pentathlon
Tokyo Olympian Jo Muir has announced her retirement from modern pentathlon after a successful decade on the Pentathlon GB high-performance programme at the University of Bath.
Muir, who combined training with studying Sports Performance during the early stages of her career, is bowing out on a high note having won European Championships silver on her last international appearance in September.
“I’ve had the most amazing 10 years on the World Class Programme for Pentathlon GB,” said the Scot, who won one gold and two silver medals on the World Cup circuit.
“I’ve had some of my greatest memories but also some of the most valuable lessons through sport and have made friends for life along the way. I’m retiring happy, content and excited for my next chapter.”
Muir began her journey towards modern pentathlon after trying tetrathlon as a Pony Club athlete. It was on her first visit to the Team Bath Sports Training Village in 2009, to compete in the British Schools Biathlon Championships at the home of Pentathlon GB’s National Training Centre, that her dreams of becoming a full-time athlete began to form.
She was a regular top-10 finisher in junior competitions and won her first senior medal in 2016, striking gold at the Swiss Women’s International, before finishing fifth at the European Championships in a field containing numerous athletes who were about to head to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
2019 was the real breakthrough year for Muir as victory at the Budapest Indoor and two top-10 World Cup finishes were topped off by fourth place at the European Championships in Bath in front of a home crowd.
She won her maiden World Cup in Cairo in March 2020, the last event before lockdown, and continued her excellent form when competition resumed in 2021, securing top place in the Olympic Ranking list and a place at Tokyo 2020 with three top-six finishes, including a silver medal.
After finishing 14th on her Olympic debut, Muir took an extended break but returned in the second half of the 2022 season to place fourth at World Cup 4 before finishing runner-up to team-mate Charlie Follett at the European Championships.
Pentathlon GB Performance Director Jon Pett said: “Everyone at Pentathlon GB wishes Joanna the very best as she continues her transition from her athletic career. I’m particularly pleased that she has found a next chapter of her career that she is just as positive about as our sport – as such I’m confident she will be just as successful.
“Joanna is looking to keep involved in our sport and give something back to the pentathlon community, something I’m keen to explore with her to ensure we continue to benefit from her involvement.”
