UIPM Modern Pentathlon World Championships 2023: Joe Choong and Elena Micheli retain individual world titles in Bath
Olympic champion Choong delighted the home crowd with Britain's first gold of the week after Micheli led home an Italian one-two in the women's final with two Paris 2024 quota spots awarded.
Joseph Choong and Elena Micheli retained their individual crowns at the 2023 UIPM Modern Pentathlon World Championships in Bath, England on Sunday (27 June).
Britain's Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Choong dominated the men's final, taking second in the fencing leg before going top with the best score in horse riding.
Eighth place in swimming saw the home favourite take a 10-second lead into the laser run and the 28-year-old, who trains at the venue for these championships, made no mistake to claim his second world crown and Britain's first gold of the week.
Mexican Emiliano Hernandez, who lay in second going into the laser run, finished five seconds behind to take silver with Egypt's Mohanad Shaban rounding out the podium ahead of teammates Ahmed and Mohamed Elgendy.
Paris 2024 quota berths were available to top-three finishers who had not previously obtained Olympic berths, and Hernandez earned one for Mexico with Choong and Shaban having already done so for their respective nations.
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Lee Ji-hun and Jung Jin-hwa of Republic of Korea were third and fourth going into the laser run, but poor shooting saw them finish down the field.
Micheli beats teammate Sotero to retain women's crown
Elena Micheli retained her world title thanks to a fine all-round performance.
The 24-year-old Italian took gold with teammate Alice Sotero edging out home favourite Kerenza Bryson in the laser run for silver.
With the two Italians having already obtained Paris 2024 quota places, Bryson secured a second quota spot for Great Britain at next year's Games.
Lithuanian veteran Laura Asadauskaite looked in contention to add to her world title from 2013, but the 39-year-old Olympic champion from London 2012 was below her best in the laser run and had to settle for fourth place.
Hungary's Michelle Gulyas, last year's silver medallist and one of the pre-event favourites, was eliminated in the horse riding leg.
Micheli held a narrow lead going into the laser run from Mexico's Mariana Arceo and Britain's Olivia Green.
Sotero, who took gold at July's European Games in Krakow, had moved into medal contention with the quickest swim of the day ahead of her teammate.
But both Green and Arceo struggled badly on the laser shooting range to drop out the medal reckoning with Sotero and Bryson surging past their rivals.
And it was Sotero who went quickest to take silver just ahead of Bryson, nine seconds after Micheli had crossed the line in front.
These World Modern Pentathlon Championships draw to a conclusion on Monday with the mixed relay.
UIPM Modern Pentathlon World Championships 2023 individual finals results
Women's
- Elena Micheli (ITA) 1429
- Alice Sotero (ITA) 1420
- Kerenza Bryson (GBR) 1419 - Also earns Paris 2024 quota spot for Great Britain
- Laura Asadauskaite (LTU) 1409
- Rebecca Langrehr (GER) 1408
- Mariana Arceo (MEX) 1402
- Ilke Ozyuksel (TUR) 1400
- Olivia Green (GBR) 1394
- Jessica Varley (GBR) 1394
- Emma Whitaker (GBR) 1388
- Laura Heredia (ESP) 1381
- Kim Sun-woo (KOR) 1379
- Alessandra Frezza (ITA) 1372
- Zhang Mingyu (CHN) 1362
- Anna Maliszewska (POL) 1354
- Blanka Bauer (HUN) 1350
- Salma Abdelmaksoud (EGY) 1350
- Michelle Gulyas (HUN) 1097
Men's
- Joseph Choong (GBR) 1523
- Emiliano Hernandez (MEX) 1518 - Also earns Paris 2024 quota spot for Mexico
- Mohanad Shaban (EGY) 1514
- Ahmed Elgendy (EGY) 1510
- Mohamed Elgendy (EGY) 1506
- Jun Woong-tae (KOR) 1505
- Csaba Bohm (HUN) 1502
- Valentin Belaud (FRA) 1502
- Marvin Faly Dogue (GER) 1500
- Giorgio Malan (ITA) 1497
- Zhang Linbin (CHN) 1485
- Jung Jin-hwa (KOR) 1485
- Myles Pillage (GBR) 1477
- Martin Vlach (CZE) 1473
- Lee Ji-hun (KOR) 1460
- Bence Demeter (HUN) 1452
- Charles Brown (GBR) 145
- Roman Popov (UKR) 1089