Pentathlon News
Four British women through to European Champs final posted by Steve Ballinger on15-07-2010
Four British women will contest Saturday's Modern Pentathlon European Championships final after Mhairi Spence, Heather Fell, Louise Helyer and Katy Livingston all qualified from the semi-finals in Hungary today (Thursday).
With 42 athletes in action in the women"s individual competition in Debrecen, they had to secure a top-18 finish in today’s two semis to secure a berth in the final.
All four Brits achieved that. Istvan Nemeth, women’s head coach for Pentathlon GB, said: "The only thing we have to do in the semi-finals is get everyone into the final, and we did that today.”
Spence topped the fencing performance in semi A with 29 wins and only 11 defeats in a competition that saw athletes fence each other twice rather than the usual once. Fell won 19 of her bouts, but then swam a season’s best 2:18.54 to climb to sixth overall.
Spence’s 200m freestyle time was eighth fastest to put her second overall going into the final event of the day, the run/shoot.
Both comfortably made it into the final.
Helyer started well in semi-final B, with the third fastest swimming time, while Livingston was ninth. Helyer followed that up with 21 wins from 40 fencing bouts for fourth overall, while Livingston’s 23 victories was third best in the semi, pushing her up to seventh overall.
The pair did both did enough in the run/shoot to ensure Britain has a 'full house’ of four athletes in Sunday’s final.
Tomorrow (Friday) the men go into action, with Beijing 2008 Olympians Sam Weale and Nick Woodbridge targeting a place in Sunday’s final.
For further information, please contact Steve Ballinger in the Pentathlon GB press office at Matchtight Ltd on 07765 071683 or visit the website www.pentathlongb.org
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