UIPM 2025 Pentathlon Junior World Championships: Khalil (EGY) breaks new ground with women’s title
Farida Khalil of Egypt added another trophy to her growing collection, becoming junior world champion for the first time with a blistering world record in Szekesfehervar (HUN).
The 14-year-old is having a dream breakthrough season having won two golds and a silver on the Pentathlon World Cup circuit, and now asserting herself as the best athlete at Under 22 level – and by quite some distance.
With an overall points tally of 1,462, she shattered her own junior world record of 1,408 – and that was with a 10-point penalty incurred during Swimming.
Another athlete who broke new ground was Lucie Hlavackova of Czechia, who battled hard to finish 18sec behind the champion and win silver ahead of fellow Paris 2024 Olympian Malak Ismail (EGY).
Team gold went to Egypt, with Switzerland claiming silver ahead of host nation Hungary.
Fencing
There was a dramatic reshuffle on the piste with only one athlete, Ismail (EGY), carrying a top-six position earned in the Seeding Round all the way through the Direct Elimination. All the other top seeds were toppled, underlining the importance of performing on Finals day.
Ismail (EGY) finished 2nd with 244 points, having knocked out team-mate Khalil (EGY) in the Round of 4. But nobody was going to stop Hlavackova (CZE) from signalling her podium intentions, overcoming the setback of a 9th seeding to romp through the knockout for the maximum 250 points.
Obstacle
Amaya El-Masri of Germany again showed her agility and superb command of the course in the early stages, setting the pace with an electrifying 30.49sec that took her up to 4th place overall.
Khalil (EGY) predictably bossed the penultimate heat, clearing the last three swinging globes in one giant propulsion for a time of 30.50 and a 17-point overall lead. Ismail (EGY) came from behind to defeat Hlavackova (CZE) in the final head-to-head, both losing ground on the leader but staying within touch.
Swimming
Elizaveta Skudnyakova (AIN) and Amina Tagirova (AIN) swam strongly with 2min 17sec in the first heat, almost matched by Malgorzata Karbownik of Poland in the second heat.
Valentina Martinescu of Italy showed everyone how it was done in the vital third heat with a crusading 2:13.88, but Khalil (EGY) refused to let her other rivals close the gap with a determined 2:16.65, adding to her head start over Ismail (EGY) in Laser Run.
However, there was a twist in the tale as 14-year-old Khalil (EGY) incurred a 10-point penalty for leaving her lane before the final athlete touched the wall.
Laser Run
That Swimming twist left Khalil (EGY) with a 13sec cushion at the top of the field, with Ismail (EGY) and Martinescu (ITA) closest to the leader and Hlavackova (CZE) starting 18sec off the podium.
The first shoot for Khalil (EGY) was uncharacteristically sluggish, and it gave Ismail (EGY) some hope as the Olympian worked hard to create pressure. Karbownik (POL) showed her exceptional shooting quality but each time she left the range with a gain, the likes of Hlavackova (CZE) and Blanka Bauer (HUN) would rein her in on the run.
As Khalil (EGY) stretched away, shooting with ease now and celebrating with a cry of joy after her fourth accurate delivery, consistent shooting and running from Hlavackova (CZE) enabled her to keep Ismail (EGY) in her sights, and the 19-year-old moved clear in the final 200m to claim silver.
Bauer (HUN) paid the price for a bad third shoot that separated her from podium glory, finishing 4th ahead of Skudnyakova (AIN) and Mathilde Derval of France, whose Laser Run of 11:15.27 was the best of the day.
