Kate French believes the experience of competing at her first Olympic Games last summer is starting to rub off after she clinched her maiden modern pentathlon World Cup win in Cairo this weekend.
The 25-year-old was Team GB’s highest finisher in the female competition at Rio 2016, coming sixth on her Olympic Games debut.
She has continued to shine this season too, crossing the line second in last month’s World Cup opener in Los Angeles before backing that up with Saturday’s win in Egypt.
After a solid swim, French dominated the fencing phase with 29 victories from 35 bouts, and victory in the bonus round although she then knocked down two posts in the show jumping.
But that did not deter the Brit, who went on to win by 30 seconds after the run-shoot combined finale as teammates Jo Muir and World Cup debutant Kerenza Bryson finished 12th and 26th respectively.
"My fencing went really well and I got a massive personal best," said French, who now moves up to fifth in the world rankings ahead of the next World Cup event in Kecskemet, Hungary from May 4-8.
"I was just really relaxed. I think I'm a more experienced athlete now. Rio gave me experience and confidence and now I'm just really enjoying it."
Sportsbeat 2017