Stunning silver for Breakthrough student-athlete Poppy Clark as emerging Pentathlon GB stars excel at Budapest World Cup
University of Bath student Poppy Clark continued an excellent start to her senior pentathlon career when she won a stunning silver at the UIPM World Cup in Budapest, Hungary.
Fellow Team Bath Breakthrough student-athlete Sebastian Forrest also earned a place on the wider podium after recording an impressive top-five finish on his first appearance in a men’s final.
Biochemistry student Clark, who trains with Pentathlon GB at the University’s Sports Training Village, was making just her third World Cup appearance but was only denied gold by a record-breaking performance on home turf by Hungary’s Blanka Guzi.
A disbelieving Clark told UIPM TV: “Every time I came out of the shooting range I just had a smile on my face because I couldn’t believe I was in the top three – to be honest I would have been happy with top 10!
“I used to watch these people when I was about 12 and think they were just incredible. To be here competing with my idols is indescribable.”
Clark – recently named as Team Bath Rengen Athlete of the Month for March – had performed strongly all week, recording top-three finishes in her qualifying heat and semi-final to join compatriots Kerenza Bryson and Liv Green in the women’s final.
Paris 2024 Olympian Bryson topped the rankings after the fencing but Clark was well placed in fourth and took the lead after a strong performance on the obstacle course. Guzi came through the field with an excellent swim but both Bryson and Clark were within nine seconds of the leader going into a thrilling laser run.
Guzi and Clark were clear of the field by the second visit to the shooting range and remained neck and neck until late on when the Hungarian eventually managed to edge clear and take victory with 1,495 points, the highest tally since a new competition format was introduced this year.
Clark was just four seconds behind, though, and punched the air as she crossed the finish line with a huge smile on her face. Bryson came home in eighth and Green completed a strong Pentathlon GB performance in 12th.
Mathematics student Forrest also enjoyed a breakthrough performance in Budapest, qualifying for the men’s final at only his second senior World Cup and placing a fantastic fifth overall.
The 19-year-old’s obstacle time of 22.22 was the quickest all day and Forrest then set the third-fastest time in the laser-run to progress through the field from tenth to fifth, finishing within eight seconds of the front three.
Team-mate Charlie Brown, one of only two athletes to go under 56 seconds in the swimming pool, was 15th overall.
Click here to see how the University of Bath supports student-athletes in their dual careers.
