Great Britain’s modern pentathletes will aim to put their recent World Championship disappointment behind them by impressing in front of the home crowds in Bath next month.
There were no individual medals for the Brits in Berlin but selectors have named a squad that will be looking to put things right when the European Championships come to Bath’s Sports Training Village from August 18-23.
London 2012 silver medallist Samantha Murray leads the women’s charge alongside Kate French and Youth Olympic Games silver medallist Francesca Summers.
The remaining fourth competitive spot will be filled by either Freyja Prentice, who is returning to the sport after a period of injury, or 2012 Olympian and former world champion Mhairi Spence.
On the men’s side, multiple World cup winner and world record holder Jamie Cook is joined by double Olympian Nick Woodbridge, Joseph Choong and Tom Toolis.
The event is a key competition for British athletes aiming to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where only two athletes per gender per nation are able to compete.
Murray was the highest placed woman at the worlds as she finished fifth while Cooke’s 22nd was the best the men could muster and Pentathlon GB performance director Jan Bartu is optimistic for improvements at the Europeans.
“Everyone has pushed incredibly hard this year, especially with the Europeans in mind as not only are the championship titles up for grabs but this will also be one of the best opportunities for the team to try and achieve the Olympic qualifying standard,” he said.
“Bath is the home of the GB team so they will be competing on home soil. This is only the second time the events been held in the UK, so this is a rare opportunity for the pentathletes to by cheered on by so many British supporters.”
© Sportsbeat 2015