Morpeth pentathlete Ross Charlton named in Team GB squad for the UPIM Modern Pentathlon World Championships

Pentathlon GB have announced a 12-strong team for the championships, with the top three competitors in the men’s and women’s event qualifying for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

The men’s team includes reigning world and Olympic champion Joe Choong, along with Myles Pillage and Charlie Brown, who won team gold with Choong for Team GB at the recent European Games, as well as Charlton, who came fifth at last month’s European Junior Championships.

Choong said: “It is always an honour to represent your country but to be going into a home World Championships as the defending champion is a particularly special moment.

“We are taking on the very best in the world and the standard of competition is going to be intense, especially with the Paris Olympics just a year away, but the support from the home fans will give us an extra boost.”

Jon Pett, Pentathlon GB performance director, added: “We have selected a strong squad who have all shown strong development and achieved their own successes in 2023, and a team that will be looking to push for both podium places and Olympic qualification to add to the two quota slots achieved at the European Games.

“With entries across the full event programme we hope to give everyone something to celebrate and I’m excited to see what our team can deliver in front of their families and hopefully a large partisan crowd!”

This year’s Modern Pentathlon World Championships are the first to be staged in Britain since 2009 and will be contested in the new 90-minute format. Spectators will be able to watch the fencing, horse-riding and laser run in an outdoor arena at the Team Bath Sports Training Village, while the swimming section – taking place in Bath University’s Olympic-sized pool – will be broadcast via a large video screen in the stadium.

The men’s qualifying event starts on August 24, with the final taking place on August 27.