UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Cup Budapest: Gulyas (HUN) enjoys dream homecoming gold in Women’s Final

Paris 2024 Olympic champion Michelle Gulyas returned to Hungary with only gold on her mind and duly delivered on that promise in a thrilling Women’s Final at UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Cup Budapest.

Fourteen-year-old sensation Farida Khalil of Egypt claimed silver after another remarkable performance and was joined on the podium by another teenager, as 19-year-old Coline Flavin of France achieved her maiden Pentathlon World Cup medal.

Fencing

Gulyas (HUN), seeded No.5, progressed serenely into the Round of 4 to the delight of the home crowd. Meanwhile top seed Flavin (FRA) and Viyaleta Hureyeva (AIN) also reached the last four, and 3rd seed Noemi Eszes (HUN) had a stunning win over Khalil (EGY) in the Round of 8, coming back from 2-4 to win 5-4.

Into the Round of 4, Gulyas (HUN) stormed into a 4-2 lead against Flavin (FRA) but the younger athlete showed incredible composure to come back and progress via priority (4-4).

There was better news for the host nation in the next bout as Eszes (HUN) defeated Hureyeva (AIN) 5-3, but there was no way past the left-handed Flavin (FRA) in the Round of 2 and it was the French starlet who took the maximum 250 points.

Obstacle

Having been in tears after her Fencing defeat, Khalil (EGY) was only 10 points behind Gulyas (HUN) heading into Obstacle and she was surprisingly upstaged by Aurora Tognetti (ITA) in their head-to-head, the Italian posting a fastest time of 33.05sec against her younger rival’s 35.04.

Flavin (FRA) and Gulyas (HUN) also completed the Obstacle course in less than 40sec to maintain their medal credentials, moving forward in joint 1st and 4th place respectively but with only nine points separating the top four.

With only one elimination, athletes showed how well they had mastered a challenging course during the Qualification and Semi-finals stages.

Swimming

The new system of competition leaders coming together in the final heat set up a thrilling duel between the two competition favourites, and it was Khalil (EGY) who edged in front of Gulyas (HUN) to win by 1.45sec and put herself in overall pole position.

A very competitive 2:15 enabled Yizhuo Liu of China to stay in contention while Tognetti (ITA), Flavin (FRA) and Eszes (HUN) lost ground with 9th, 17th and 18th places in Swimming respectively.

Laser Run

Khalil (EGY) started 3sec ahead of Tognetti (ITA) with Gulyas (HUN) 1sec further back and Flavin (FRA) now 15sec adrift of the leader with athletes like Blanka Guzi (HUN) looking threatening in the top eight.

After a fairly peaceful opening sequence, the second lap was much more dramatic and saw Khalil (EGY) reined in by Gulyas (HUN) and Tognetti (ITA). The Olympic champion then slipped in front of the teenager with a 10sec shoot, while Flavin (FRA) moved past a frozen Tognetti (ITA) into a podium position.

At the final shoot, Gulyas (HUN) let her accuracy slip slightly and Khalil (EGY) moved back within a few seconds, but there was no stopping the local hero as she entered the arena to rapturous applause.

Khalil (EGY) showed yet more maturity to hold on to silver, while another teenager Flavin (FRA) arrived with arms outstretched to celebrate her first Pentathlon World Cup medal.

The situation was far more fluid behind her, and finally it was Malak Ismail (EGY), Blanka Bauer (HUN) and Louison Cazaly (FRA) who made progress through the field to finish in the top six, Bauer (HUN) recording the best time of 10:58.54.