UIPM 2015 Senior World Championships - Germany wins the Men's Relay

BERLIN, GERMANY - Germany made home advantage count to pick up the first medal of the 55th UIPM Senior World Championships today in Berlin.

Alexander Nobis and Marvin Faly Dogue (GER) topped the podium in the Men's Team Relay as a week of live top class Modern Pentathlon sporting action got underway at Berlin's Olympic Park.The duo were in contention from the off winning the Fencing and were always in or around the top three as the event progressed.

Alexander Nobis said: "It was very close with the Russian athlete at the end in the shooting and it was a case of will he hit the target, won't he hit the target. Marvin did really well and opened up a 20 meter gap in the last run.

Marvin Faly Dogue said: "I wasn't too secure, but it was fine because with all the people cheering him on the route and after the last corner I knew that I've done it and that I was going to cross the finishing line first. We are both delighted."

Russians Alexander Kukarin and Kirill Belyakov (RUS) took second place and Silver despite leading going into the final Combined Event.

Third were Polish duo Szymon Staskiewicz and Jaroslaw Swiderski (POL) who said: "From the beginning we felt very well. I am very proud of my teammate as he is very young where as I am a very experienced athlete, but he did so very well. We are very happy."

From the 18 teams starting the competition, it was Germany, Poland and Russia made a great start in the Fencing with 21 wins apiece. The German duo of Alexander Nobis and Marvin Faly Dogue (GER) were awarded first place followed by Poland's Szymon Staskiewicz and Jaroslaw Swiderski (POL) in second with Alexander Kukarin and Kirill Belyakov (RUS) of Russia sitting third.

Into the pool and it was the Korean's Woojin Hwang and Jinhwa Jung (KOR) who took first place with an impressive swim in a time of 1.48:99. Chinese duo Jianli Guo and Jiahow Han (CHN) were second posting a time of 1.49:38 with Czech's Jan Kuf and Martin Bilko (CZE) a further two seconds behind at 1.51:64.

That time took the Czech's up to second in the overall placings after two events followed by the Chinese. But topping the leaderboard at the halfway point heading to the Riding arena were Russian duo Kukarin and Belyakov (RUS) whose fourth place finish in the pool, saw them move from third into pole position and looking very strong. Polish pairing Staskiewicz and Swiderski (POL) and the German double act of Nobis and Dogue (GER) sat fourth and fifth respectively in the overall classification.

On to the Riding Arena, and the top three came from Guatemala, Italy and Ireland.

Jorge Imeri and Charles Fernandez (GUA) and Italian duo Nicola Benedetti and Tuullio de Santis (ITA) took joint first with the Guatemalans edging it by the narrowest of milliseconds. Irish duo Eanna Bailey and Tom O'Brien finished third in the event.

A sixth place finish from overall leaders Kukarin and Belyakov (RUS) saw them go into the final Combined Event with a narrow nine second lead over Benedetti and de Santois (ITA) with Polish duo Staskiewicz and Swiderski a further two seconds behind the Italians.

Hot on their heels were Nobis and Dogue (GER) and China's Guo and Han (CHN). As a result of placing 16th in the Riding, Czech's Kuf and Bilko (CZE) were sitting tenth going in to the Combined Running and Shooting.

Kukarin and Belyakov (RUS) maintained their lead until the final round of shooting where in a moment of drama the Germans drew level and there was an exciting shoot out that saw Nobis and Dogue (GER) move into first place.

The support of the home crowd gave Dogue (GER) all the encouragement he needed to cross the line first and claim gold.

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann was delighted with a thrilling start to the Senior World Championships: "It has been a wonderful first day of the Senior World Championships and the fact that Germany have won has been a great thing for the host country and the organisers. It is a special gift for them on the first day.

"I have to say special congratulations to the athletes, their trainers, to the German Federation President and to all the people who have been working hard on organising these Championships.

"Congratulations too to the Russian team and the Polish team. They are young athletes and it is very good to see young athletes coming through and getting on the podium at major championships.

"It has been a great opener to the Championships and we look forward to the rest of the week and the Women's Team Relay tomorrow in this wonderful stadium."

Follow all the action of this UIPM 2015 Senior World Championships with our live results of the Women's Team Relay Competition tomorrow at www.pentathlon.org, our updates through Facebook at www.facebook.com/modpen and Twitter at https://twitter.com/UIPM_HQ.