Talented athlete and Loughborough Grammar School pupil, Oliver, has recently returned from the UIPM Pentathlon U17 World Championships having ranked 12th in the world at the competition which took place in Johannesburg on 18 July.
Competing against some of the best junior athletes globally, this sporting success follows Oliver’s recent achievement, just one month earlier, at the U17 Modern Pentathlon European Championships in Barcelona where he was the highest placed British athlete in the competition.
The Pentathlon U17 World Championships began with a qualification round where Oliver took part in all four Modern Pentathlon events – Fencing, Obstacle Course Run, Swimming and Laser Run – to solidify his place in the final. Firmly placed inside the top 18 qualifiers, Oliver prepared for the main event.
In the finals he started off with an average fence getting 46% for his victories over defeats. He then set a new personal best by completing the obstacle course run in an incredible time of 27.1 seconds. Oliver maintained this pace in the swimming event where he achieved a time of 2 minutes 23 seconds, ranking in 26th place going into the Laser Run event.
The Laser Run saw Oliver run a fast steady pace, shooting accurately at 10m, with his times ranging from 7 seconds to 10 seconds. This fantastic final effort allowed him to gain 14 places before a superb sprint finish gave him a final position of 12th place.
Reflecting on the competition, Oliver said: “Hours of dedication went into fierce racing from across the globe, fueling determination, embracing challenges and pushing limits.”
Oliver’s achievement at the Pentathlon U17 World Championships renders him one of the best junior Modern Pentathlon athletes in the world, setting him up for a fantastic future within the sport which we look forward to following.
