LOS ANGELES – After a dominant performance by France at Pentathlon World Cup Cairo, the rest of the world is poised to start playing catch-up at Pentathlon World Cup Los Angeles when the series resumes tomorrow (March 26).
France won four of the nine medals on offer in Cairo, with Elodie Clouvel and Christopher Patte claiming the two individual golds, but the second date on the 2018 UIPM calendar could be far more open as a host of top athletes have gathered at the Fairplex events complex in Pomona, Los Angeles County.
The 2017 men’s world champion, Jung Jinghwa of Korea, makes his first appearance of the season and he will encounter stiff competition in the form of Valentin Belaud (FRA), silver medallist in Cairo and his predecessor as world champion, and the Rio 2016 Olympic gold and silver medallists, Alexander Lesun of Russia and Ukraine star Pavlo Tymoshchenko.
Also returning to the circuit are proven performers such as Jamie Cooke and Joe Choong of Great Britain, Bence Demeter and Adam Marosi of Hungary, Jun Woongtae (KOR), Riccardo de Luca of Italy, Charles Fernandez from Guatemala and Patrick Dogue of Germany.
There will also be strong delegations from Egypt, China, Japan and the USA, with the host nation campaign spearheaded by Rio 2016 Olympian Isabella Isaksen and 2016 UIPM Triathle world champion Samantha Achterberg.
Rio silver medallist Clouvel (FRA) is likely to be one of the front-runners in the women’s event, along with world champion Gulnaz Gubaydullina (RUS) and perennial contenders Tamara Alekszejev and Sarolta Kovacs (HUN), Kim Sunwoo (KOR), Alice Sotero(ITA), Ilke Ozyuksel of Turkey and Annika Schleu (GER). There is also a return for London 2012 Olympic silver medallist Samantha Murray (GBR).
UIPM President Dr. Klaus Schormann said: "We return to Los Angeles with high expectations after a successful World Cup here in 2017. Fairplex is an excellent venue for our sport and we hope to have many more top-level competitions here in the future.
"The state of California also has a strong sporting tradition and we are now at the beginning of a new era with the Olympic Summer Games coming to Los Angeles for the second time in 2028. I know this will be a spectacular celebration of sport.
"Our elite pentathletes and their coaches are currently focused on Tokyo 2020 and the Pentathlon World Cup not only gives them an opportunity to compete at a high level, it also offers a global showcase to our partners, broadcast partners and officials.
"My thanks go to our hosts, Pentathlon USA, the US Olympic Committee, local officials here in California and the LA 2028 team, as well as the sponsors and suppliers."
Pentathlon World Cup Los Angeles begins with qualifying for the individual finals on March 26 and 27. The Women’s Final takes place on March 28, followed by the Men’s Final on March 29 and the Mixed Relay on March 30.
A live stream of the action on finals days will be available at UIPM TV. Follow World Pentathlon on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram throughout the Pentathlon World Cup for additional content.
The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne
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