UIPM 2026 Pentathlon U17 World Championships: Terrific Thomatos (RSA) triumphs in Women’s Final
Tatiana Thomatos produced a heroic Laser Run performance to deliver a hugely satisfying gold medal for South Africa in a gripping conclusion to the Women’s Final at the UIPM 2026 Pentathlon U17 World Championships.
The 16-year-old Thomatos (RSA) overhauled a 15-second deficit with some faultless running and shooting as she reeled in Tulya Kesebir of Türkiye to claim the biggest global medal of her glittering young career.
Just two seconds separated the rivals on the run-in with Thomatos (RSA) and Kesebir (TUR) having gone toe to toe all the way from the first moments of action, when they finished second and first respectively in Fencing. To sum up just how intense and driven their battle was, there was nearly a 30-second gap back to the rest of the 36-strong field by the end of the Laser Run.
Cape Town native Thomatos (RSA) has competed at major UIPM competitions for seven years and has some notable world titles already to her name, particularly at UIPM Laser Run World Championships where she has been a prolific performer.
In 2024 she won gold at the UIPM Tetrathlon U15 World Championships and followed it up with a bronze in the UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Championships on home soil. Now she has a landmark victory which further underlines her potential as a future star.
Behind the front-running pair, Jemima Chetwood of Great Britain saw off the challenge of a trio from Hungary behind her to claim the bronze medal. Virag Pleban (HUN), Jazmin Balzsay (HUN) and Greta Kertai (HUN), filled out the spots from fourth to sixth, respectively.
On the seventh day of action in Kaunas (LTU) team gold went to Hungary with Great Britain’s trio celebrating silver and Germany, as they had done in the Men’s competition on Monday, claiming bronze.
Watch and follow
The UIPM 2026 Pentathlon Junior & U17 World Championships take place from July 23-29. The remaining schedule is as follows:
Wednesday July 29
- U17 Mixed Relay
- Junior Mixed Relay
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