OCI scholarship athlete Natayla Coyle has just made the final of the USA World Cup event today
Modern Pentathlon returns to the USA after a nine year absence and the Irish team of Natalya Coyle, Eanna Bailey and Arthur Lanigan-O’Keeffe is flying the Tri-colour in what will be the first of five World Cup Series events in 2011, culminating in the World Cup Final next July in the UK– the first Olympic Games Qualifier.
This week’s World Cup event is being held in Rancho Mirage in the heart of Palm Springs Valley, California – and Natalya Coyle goes there in great form, coming off her highest international finish of fifth place in the recent Hungarian Indoor Championships. The Irish men are also in top form with Arthur placing 11th in Hungary and Eanna showing a huge improvement in recent performances in the UK.
The top 36 ranked athletes from the first four World Cup events are invited to contest the World Cup Final in the UK.
Ireland’s world rankings going into the World Cup series are:
Natalya Coyle – 54th
Arthur Lanigan-O’Keefe – 166th
Eanna Bailey – 131st
The boys compete tomorrow.
Watch the Finals live at www.pentathlon.org on Feb 26th and 27th.