UIPM 2025 Pentathlon Relay World Championships: Khalil (EGY) leads gold rush for red-hot hosts
· Inaugural competition sees 12 new champion duos crowned in Alexandria (EGY)
· Host nation top the podium nine times with teen star Khalil (EGY) winning three titles
· France, Czechia and neutral athletes win gold as 12 nations claim medals
Teamwork made the dream work as the inaugural UIPM Pentathlon Relay World Championships served up an exhilarating week of action on the Mediterranean coast with 12 new champion duos crowned.
The home fans in Alexandria (EGY) were spoiled for choice when it came time to pick a favourite moment after the curtain came down. The host nation savoured a prolific week with Egypt picking up nine of the 12 gold medals on offer.
Duos from France and Czechia and a team of Individual Neutral Athletes also topped the podium during six days of competition at Senior, Junior, U19 and U17 levels. The championships saw a total of 12 countries representing four continents leave with medals, Kuwait, Kazakhstan and South Africa among them.
Seniors
Whether a long-standing or debut championship on the UIPM calendar, it has quickly become a staple of any gathering of the best athletes in the world to see Farida Khalil (EGY) atop the podium. The teen phenom duly delivered again alongside teammate Malak Ismail (EGY) to deliver Women’s gold with a dominant opening-day display. Khalil would combine with Mohanad Shaban (EGY) to double up and win the Mixed Relay too.
Khalil (EGY) said: “It was a happy day. I want to thank Malak because she helped me going through this day. We made a big lead in Obstacle and swimming and it’s a great to get the gold at the end of the day.”
On the men’s side, Leo Bories & Mathis Rochat of France combined to brilliant effect to snatch a gripping gold from the grasp of Czechia (Marek Grycz & Matej Lukes).
Bories (FRA) said: “In Laser Run, Mathis did the work, it went really well, but then my shooting was not great, so I had to come back. Coaches told us that Mathis should go first, and if it went well, I would deliver. It was a good day.”
Juniors
The second day of action matched the first for contacting victories. Hosts Egypt were again atop the podium in Alexandria when Jana Attia & Zeina Amer underlined their potent partnership with an empathic Women’s gold medal.
Attia (EGY) said: “We are good friends so I am very happy to win with Zeina. We were thinking that we were going to get eliminated in the Obstacle so I’m very happy we got thought that.”
Their runaway victory was in stark contrast to the triumph of Individual Neutral Athletes Andrey Bobrov & Kirill Karachin, who held on in a tight and tense Men’s Relay that went all the way to the final stages of the Laser Run before the medals were decided.
Those same teams would occupy the top two steps on the podium after the Mixed Relay when Ismail (EGY) combined with Mohamed Hassan for victory with AIN taking silver and Czechia bronze.
Under 19
With so much talent already at Senior and Junior level, Egypt sent out a signal of its strength in depth coming through the pipelines as they completed a clean sweep of all U19 prizes. Women’s (Sarah Mohamed & Alia Enayet), Men’s (Mohamed Hassan & Osama Zaki) and Mixed Relay (Ganah Elgindy & Sief Soliman) golds were added to the hosts’ tally.
With growing development and interest in Pentathlon in the Middle East region there was a bronze for Kuwait (Mohammad Alsuhaibi & Yousef Boabbas) in the Men’s race.
Under 17
Khalil (EGY) found time for one more gold medal to add to her heaving collection as she and Lilly Farag (EGY) cruised to Women’s gold for Egypt who also scooped the Men’s prize with Yassein Elsherbiny & Abdelrahman Farouk impressing.
However, Czechia (Stella Ohrablova & Teodor Raska) broke up the glory run of the host nation as they combined for a stellar Mixed Relay victory.
Watch and follow
The UIPM 2025 Pentathlon Relay World Championships has now concluded but the action continues with the inaugural UIPM 2025 Pentathlon U17 World Championships in Johannesburg (RSA) from July 17-20.
Have you got the app? Download UIPM Central via Apple or Google to keep track of the latest news and results – or visit the UIPM website.
Follow UIPM / World Pentathlon on your favourite social media throughout the season for more content:
• TikTok
• VK
• X
• YouTube
Upcoming events
