UIPM 2024 Pentathlon World Cup Budapest: Seong (KOR) and Gnedtchik (AIN) well set for Women’s Final

• Two 20-year-olds lead the way after tightly-fought Fencing round
• Gulyas (HUN) poised to launch another podium bid on Super Saturday
• Micheli (ITA), Clouvel (FRA) and Ozyuksel (TUR) among qualifiers

An epic Women’s Final awaits at UIPM 2024 Pentathlon World Cup Budapest after two intriguing Semi-finals saw the list of 18 qualifiers take shape.

Two 20-year-olds will head into the Final sharing the lead having top-scored in the Fencing Ranking Round with 26 victories and eight defeats apiece – Seungmin Seong of Korea and Mariya Gnedtchik (AIN).

Only five points behind is Haydy Morsy of Egypt but local favourite Michelle Gulyas of Hungary is also well set after scoring 24V/10D, while Elodie Clouvel of France and Ilke Ozyuksel of Türkiye are within touching distance.

Two-time world champion Elena Micheli of Italy has work to do after managing only 17 touches in Fencing, but such is her all-round prowess she was able to win Semi-final A by a 4sec margin with an impressive 1,117 overall points. Gnedtchik (AIN) and Valeriya Permykina of Ukraine were next to finish, with Morsy (EGY) narrowly holding off the challenge of Anastasiya Prokopenko (AIN) to secure the 9th and final place.

Last year’s Pentathlon World Cup Budapest champion Blanka Guzi (HUN), last week’s Pentathlon World Cup Ankara medallist Malak Ismail (EGY) and Genevieve Janse van Rensburg of Australia – one of the top Fencing performers with 24V/10D – were among those who missed the cut after a ruthless Laser Run.

Semi-final B was won by Ozyuksel (TUR), bouncing back from last week’s Semi-final elimination, along with Seong (KOR) and Gulyas (HUN), with Clouvel (FRA) only 1sec behind and Laura Asadauskaite of Lithuania among those who safely qualified.

Pentathlon World Cup Budapest continues tomorrow (April 26) with the Men's Semi-finals, followed by the Finals on April 27 and the Mixed Relay on April 28.

Live stream of the Semi-finals and Finals is available on UIPM TV and all competition results are available at the UIPM website.

The 18 athletes who qualified for the Women's Final are: