Pentathlon GB’s Emma Whitaker sprints to silver at Senior European Championships in Spain
Emma Whitaker won women’s individual silver for University of Bath-based Pentathlon GB at the 2025 Senior European Championships in Madrid, Spain.
The Sports Performance graduate, who was supported by a Santander Sporting Scholarship during her time as a student-athlete at the University, crossed the line just two seconds behind France’s Rebecca Castaudi after an exciting sprint finish.
Whitaker had performed consistently throughout a gripping final but saved her best performance to last, her time of 11:05.54 in blistering heat being the second-fastest laser-run of the day and moving her past Hungarian duo Blanka Bauer and Blanka Guzi into second spot overall.
Her performance, along with semi-final placings for Natalie Hatfield and Charlie Follett, helped Pentathlon GB place fifth in the women’s team competition.
Britain’s men matched that team ranking as Santander Sporting Scholar Charlie Brown and Sports Performance student James Hulme both reached the individual final, placing 12th and 16th respectively, and Ross Charlton reached the semi-finals.
The relay competitions saw seventh-placed finishes for Charlton and Sam Cobb in the men’s event, and Follett and Olivia Green in the women’s. Cobb and Hatfield had started the week with sixth place in the mixed relay.
Next up for Pentathlon GB is the UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Championships, taking place in Kaunus, Lithuania, from 26th August.
The Team Bath Sports Training Village has been home to Pentathlon GB’s National Training Centre since 1998, with the country’s top athletes doing all of their training – fencing, swimming, laser-run and the new discipline of obstacle racing – in one venue. Visit teambath.com/modern-pentathlon to find out more.
