Sive Brassil edged ever closer to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with a gutsy performance in the women’s final at UIPM 2021 Pentathlon World Cup Sofia (I).
The Galway pentathlete finished 27th – one place ahead of Poland’s Rio 2016 bronze medallist Oktawia Nowacka – amid a stellar field in the Bulgarian capital.
Although she may have hoped for a higher placing, only 13 of the athletes who finished above Brassil today had been ahead of her in the UIPM Olympic World Rankings (OWR) at the start of the competition – and four of them already know they are likely to be going to Tokyo 2020 having secured a quota place.
The 27-year-old will have one more chance next week in Sofia to boost her OWR position before the last two qualification opportunities: the Pentathlon World Cup Final in May – for which she is highly likely to qualify – and the Pentathlon World Championships in June.
Brassil’s day started well in the swimming pool, where she recorded the 12th-fastest time (2:18.02). Fencing was an unforgiving experience, as she managed just 12 wins from her 35 bouts, adding one extra point in the bonus round.
Undeterred, Brassil continued to focus on the task in hand and an excellent ride with only one obstacle penalty saw her add 293 points to her score, placing her 28th overall ahead of the Laser Run, where she timed 13:08.40 and moved up one place.
Ireland’s Arthur Lanigan-O’Keeffe will compete tomorrow (10 April) in the men’s final of the first of two Pentathlon World Cups taking place in Sofia this month.
For live competition coverage visit UIPM TV, the UIPM website or download the “UIPM Central” app.
