Athletes Henry Choong and Francesca Summers will be competing in Nanjing, China tomorrow at the Youth Olympic Games.  You can watch them live at this link and the schedules (in UK time) are below!

Friday 22nd

0300-0430 Women's fencing (ranking round)
0700-0830 Men's fencing (ranking round)

Saturday 23rd
0730-0750 women's swimming
0900-0950 women's fencing ladder
1125-1145 women's CE
1200-1220 medal ceremony

Sunday 24th

0730-0750 men's swimming
0900-0950 men's fencing ladder
1125-1145 men's CE
1200-1220 medal ceremony

Tuesday 26th

0130-0330 mixed relay ranking round
0630-0650 mixed relay swim
0800-0940 mixed relay fencing ladder
1125-1145 mixed relay CE
1200-1220 medal ceremony

Olympic silver medal winning modern pentathlete Samantha Murray features on Saturday’s edition of the BBC quiz show Pointless Celebrities.

Samantha teams up with rower Pete Reed for the quiz, which tests the depth of contestants’ general knowledge.

The other teams are Martin Offiah and Phil Tufnell, Mark Bright and Martin Peter, and John Parrott and Hazel Irvine.

The show, which is hosted by Alexander Armstrong, is on BBC One at 6pm on Saturday (16 February).

Samantha won Britain’s last medal of the London 2012 Olympic Games when she took silver on the final day of the Games.

She became the fifth British woman to win an Olympic modern pentathlon medal since the sport for women was added to the Olympic programme in 2000.

Britain’s pentathletes have welcomed news that the sport of modern pentathlon has been named as a core sport for the 2020 Olympic Games.
 
The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee today agreed on the list of 25 core sports it will propose to the IOC Session in September for approval as the core sports for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Modern pentathlon features on the list, despite some speculation that it might drop off the Olympic programme. The IOC Session meets in Buenos Aires in September to finalize the sports that will feature at the 2020 Games.

Modern pentathlon celebrated the centenary of its first appearance at the Olympics last year, having making its Olympic debut at Stockholm in 1912.  Pierre De Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, was an admirer of pentathlon at the ancient Olympics and championed the introduction of the modern pentathlon to the modern Olympics.
 
Today Samantha Murray, silver medallist for Great Britain at London 2012, said she was joyful and relieved by today’s announcement.
 
“I’m elated, joyful and relieved by the decision,” she said. “I feel so passionate about the modern pentathlon and I’m so pleased that the IOC has recognized the value of the sport.
 
“I’m sure Baron Pierre De Coubertin would be smiling in his grave right now.”
 
She added: “It’s really sad news for wrestling and I feel for everyone involved in the sport."
 
Mhairi Spence, Britain’s reigning modern pentathlon world champion, said: “I’m relieved. We’ve got a lot of strong young athletes coming through and to think they might not have had the motivation of the Olympic Games would have been hard to swallow. That motivation really spurred me on to achieve things and I’m glad the dream is still alive for them.”
 
Heather Fell, who won silver for Great Britain at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, said: “It’s fantastic news. Modern pentathlon epitomizes what the Olympics is about and the Olympics are the biggest event on the sport's calendar by far.”
 
Jon Austin, Chief Executive of Pentathlon GB, said: "This is still subject to a final decision at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires, but it’s great news. I’m extremely happy with the decision. It’s terrific news for everyone in pentathlon community.”
 
Speaking on behalf of the Pentathlon GB Board, Chairman Anthony Temple QC, said: “Though the matter has to be approved by the IOCsession from 7 to 10 September in Buenos Aires, Argentina this is great news for our sport, for us at Pentathlon GB and for our future. It’s great news!"

Assurance for the future

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today agreed on the 25 sports it will propose to the 125th IOC Session for approval as the core sports for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

The 25 sports include modern pentathlon.

(The EB recommended that wrestling, governed by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA), not be included on the list of core sports. Wrestling will now join the seven shortlisted sports – baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu – vying for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic programme as an additional sport.)

Though the matter has to be approved by the IOC session from 7 to 10 September in Buenos Aires, Argentina this is great news for our sport, for us at Pentathlon GB and for our future.

Great news!

Tony Temple – for the Board 

Olympic Pentathlete Mhairi Spence reveals the heartache she suffered post London 2012, and how a once in a lifetime trip to Australia got her back into trainig and fighting fit.

Click here for full interview

A stunning photograph of Britain’s Samantha Murray taking part in the London 2012 Olympic fencing competition has been voted modern pentathlon photo of the year for 2012.
 
The photo taken by Paul Roberts, shows Samantha celebrating victory in one of her fencing bouts at the Copper Box and captures the passion and emotion that the sport can generate.
 
Samantha had to show grit and determination after losing her opening seven bouts in the fencing discipline. But she battled back to come 16th in the fencing, putting her on a firmer footing to go on and win the silver medal.
 
She went on to become the fifth British woman modern pentathlete to medal at an Olympic Games since the sport for women was introduced at Sydney 2000.
 
Thousands of people took part in the online pool on the UIPM’s website with 20 photos being considered. Some 51 per cent of voters chose the picture of Samantha.
 
Some 51 per cent of the thousands of people who voted for the 20 photos in the online poll on the UIPM’s website voted for Paul’s picture.
 
Paul said: “The images I got of Sam celebrating getting her fencing back on track captures a small part of the drama that unfolded in the Copper Box. Only as the day went on did the significance of that victory celebration become clear!
 
“It was a roar only beaten by the crowds roar a few hours later when Sam ran back into Greenwich Park in the silver medal position.”
And Samantha also said she was pleased that Paul’s photo of her topped the poll. "It's a real honour to have been voted as picture of the year by the public and pentathlon fans,” she said. “I don't think it’s the best photo, but it reflects my determination to win an Olympic medal. I hope it can inspire some young athletes to follow their dreams.

“Most of all it's really cool that people voted. Thank you to everyone who took part and also for Paul Roberts for his great images from this season.  I can't remember what I was thinking when this image was taken, but I know that I was in fierce fighting mode and wasn't going to give anything away after coming back from a seven-defeat start."

To see some of Paul’s work, please go to robertssportsphoto.com
 

 

Olympic silver medallist Samantha Murray was named winner of the British Modern Pentathlon Olympic Athlete of the Year Award.
 
Murray was presented with the award at a Pentathlon GB dinner in Bath last night (Wednesday) at the end of a stunning year that saw her capture her first World Cup medal, as well as medals at both the World Championships and the Olympics.
 
The climax to her year came on Sunday 12 August when Murray crossed the finish line in second place behind Lithuania’s Laura Asadauskaite at Greenwich Park to take the Olympic silver medal. It was Britain’s 65th and last medal of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
 
Murray, who has combined training and competing with studying for a degree in French and Politics at the University of Bath, ends the year at number three in the senior world rankings and she topped the 2012 World Cup rankings. That was a meteoric rise from the 78th place in the rankings in February.
 
Murray just missed out on her first World Cup medal in Hungary in April, finishing fourth, but won bronze a week later in the 4th World Cup of the year in Russia.
 
She followed that up with bronze at the 2012 World Championships in Rome – an event that saw team-mate Mhairi Spence crowned the World Champion.
 
And then came that epic day in London in August, as Murray followed in the footsteps of Steph Cook, Kate Allenby, Georgina Harland and Heather Fell to become the fifth British woman to win an Olympic Modern Pentathlon medal.
 
Murray received the Athlete of the Year trophy, provided by the British Olympic Association.
 
A range of other prizes were presented to athletes at last night’s awards.
 
Mhairi Spence, Britain’s 2012 World Champion, received the inaugural Outstanding Performance of the Year Award. That was awarded for her success in becoming Britain’s first individual modern pentathlon World Champion since Steph Cook in 2001.
 
And Thomas Toolis received the Newcomer of the Year Award for making the biggest improvement in his first year training at the Pentathlon GB National Training Centre.  The Newcomer of the Year trophy was donated by Athens 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Georgina Harland.
 
Heather Fell received the European Championships award after finishing sixth at this year’s championships.
 
Jan Bartu, Pentathlon GB Performance Director, said: “If you take the men’s and the women’s results, it’s probably fair to say we haven’t had a better year as a team. We had a strong year in 2001, but that was only from the girls.
 
“As a step in the evolution of the programme, we have reached another milestone in 2012,” he added. “It’s something the next generation must aspire to, they’ve been given a hard act to follow.”
 
He also made a presentation to Katy Livingston to mark her retirement as an athlete. Her career included a seventh place finish at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, an individual bronze medal at the 2008 World Championships, a gold medal at the 2008 World Cup in Egypt and a silver in Russia in 2007.
 
She also contributed to many team medals, including team relay gold at the 2007 World Championships, a team silver at the 2006 World Championships and a team relay bronze at the 2012 World Championships.
 
Bartu said: “Katy started from scratch and became a member of the family here. She was a good, reliable team member and a pleasure to have around. We’d like to wish her the best of luck for the future.”
 
Bartu also made a presentation to Dominic Mahony, who has been the Team Manager from 1998 contributing to the team success in four consecutive Olympic cycles, and thanked Jon Austin, Chief Executive of Pentathlon GB, the Performance team, English Institute of Sport staff and Pentathlon GB office staff for their support during the year.

For some photos from the evening, please visit the Pentathlon GB Facebook site.
 

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Olympic silver medal winning modern pentathlete Samantha Murray will be one of the guests of honour at a civic reception in her home town of Clitheroe in Lancashire on Saturday (25 August),
 
Ribble Valley Borough Council is holding the reception and Mayor Councillor Ian Sayers will welcome Murray and canoeist Jon Schofield, also is also originally from Clitheroe and won bronze at London 2012.
 
After the reception at Ribble Valley Borough Council Chamber, the pair will take part in a victory parade at the head of the Clitheroe torchlight procession.
 
Murray grew up in Clitheroe but now lives in Bath, where she combines training at the Pentathlon GB high performance centre with studying for a degree in French and Politics at the University of Bath.
 
The Ribble Valley Mayor will present the pair of Olympic medallists with commemorative glass plaques to mark their achievements at Saturday's reception.
 
Mayor Ian Sayers said: “Ribble Valley Borough Council is immensely proud to have supported these two fine young athletes over the years and thrilled to be giving them the homecoming they so richly deserve.
 
“For them both to have won medals is an outstanding achievement and I anticipate a huge turnout for their victory parade at the head of the torchlight procession on Saturday.”
 
Torchlight processions are only held in Clitheroe to mark major national events, this year’s marking the London Olympics and diamond jubilee of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II. The procession will see over 60 floats process through the town from 7.45pm.
 
Murray’s silver medal was GB’s last medal of the London 2012 Olympic Games and the fifth Olympic medal won by a GB woman since the modern pentathlon for women made its Olympic debut at the Sydney 2000 Games.
 
For further information about modern pentathlon please go to the Pentathlon GB website at www.pentathlongb.org , follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/pentathlongb or like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/PentathlonGB
 
There are plenty of ways to get into modern pentathlon before tackling a full pentathlon. Pentathlon GB also runs a range of competitions in biathlon (a separate run and swim), biathle (a continuous run, swim and run), triathlon (a shoot, swim and run) and tetrathlon (shooting, swimming, riding and running). For more information go to https://www.pentathlongb.org/performance/olympics.php?tab=8
 
For further information about Pentathlon GB members of the media can contact the Pentathlon GB press office at Matchtight Ltd on 07765 071683 or 01225 383518.
 

Britain’s Samantha Murray has climbed to number three in the modern pentathlon world rankings following her silver medal winning performance at the Olympic Games just over a week ago.
 
Murray won Britain’s last medal of the London 2012 Olympics and Britain’s 65th medal of the Games. Her silver was the fifth Olympic medal won by a British pentathlete since the sport for women made its Olympic debut at Sydney 2000.
 
Her performance at London 2012 saw Murray climb from a then career high seventh in the world rankings before the Olympics to third place. It’s a particularly impressive performance from an athlete who was ranked 78th in the world in February.
 
The rankings are compiled by the sport’s international federation, the UIPM (Union International de Pentathlon Moderne), and are based on athletes’ top three performances over the last year. Murray’s scoring performances were her silver at the Games, her bronze at the World Championships in Rome in May and a World Cup bronze in Russia in April
 
Murray combines training for modern pentathlon with studying for a degree in French and Politics at the University of Bath.
 
Mhairi Spence, Britain’s reigning World Champion and 21st at London 2012, also features in the top-five in fourth place, while Beijing 2008 Olympic silver medallist Heather Fell is currently ranked 13th. Great Britain has five women in the top-40, with Katy Burke at 31 and Freyja Prentice at 33.
 
Lithuania’s Olympic champion, World Cup Final winner and European champion Laura Asadauskaite is world number one with Brazil’s Olympic bronze medallist Yane Marques ranked second.
 
Nick Woodbridge is the highest placed of the GB men in the world rankings at 10th place. He came 10th at the London 2012, his second Olympic Games. Sam Weale, who came 13th at London 2012 is 18th in the men's world rankings.
 
With only the PanAmerican Championships to come this season, the current world rankings are close to being the year end positions.
 
For further information about modern pentathlon please go to the Pentathlon GB website at www.pentathlongb.org , follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/pentathlongb or like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/PentathlonGB
 
There are plenty of ways to get into modern pentathlon before tackling a full pentathlon. Pentathlon GB also runs a range of competitions in biathlon (a separate run and swim), biathle (a continuous run, swim and run), triathlon (a shoot, swim and run) and tetrathlon (shooting, swimming, riding and running). For more information go to https://www.pentathlongb.org/performance/olympics.php?tab=8