- 2 years ago
Women’s Semi-final A
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00:00 Well hello everybody and welcome to the 2024 Pentathlon season live from Cairo, Egypt.
00:00:10 The first event of the 2024 season. We cannot wait to get you all up and running with the new Pentathlon season,
00:00:20 which is of course the first of four World Cups. We then of course have the World Cup Final,
00:00:26 then the World Championships to bring you coverage of. Beginning here live in Cairo, Egypt,
00:00:32 where of course it is women's semi-finals day. The conditions here, 19 degrees Celsius.
00:00:38 It's a little bit cloudier today, a little bit cooler dare I say, than it has been over the past couple of days.
00:00:42 But I don't think the athletes will mind, but it has been quite warm actually over the past few days.
00:00:47 So it's actually a little bit of a welcome breeze to cool things down here as we look forward to beginning our coverage
00:00:55 of the first of the two semi-finals. Let's begin by talking you through the new format,
00:00:59 which starts with qualifications where athlete numbers are reduced to two groups of 18 with semi-final A and B taking place.
00:01:04 After the semi-finals we're left with the 18 best athletes to contest in the final.
00:01:07 The event takes place over a condensed 90 minute duration, five disciplines with 18 athletes up against each other
00:01:13 and competing for the medals. As mentioned, today is of course semi-finals day, so we won't have any riding today.
00:01:19 The riding rules, points, groins and so are on your screen as we speak, though we'll go into greater detail later
00:01:24 in the competition. It's then over to the fencing bonus round for the one-on-one bouts with the conclusion of the fencing action.
00:01:32 Then things move very quickly off to the pool for the heats of the 200 metre freestyle.
00:01:38 Here in Cairo it's a 25 metre pool, so expect some quick times. We conclude with the ever dramatic laser run.
00:01:46 Five laps of the 600 metre circuit with of course five laser shooting rounds where the athletes have to shoot the five targets.
00:01:55 So strap yourselves in. Welcome to Modern Pentathlon 2024.
00:02:12 Well, myself, James Zanadakis and Mariam Amar joining you in the commentary box.
00:02:17 Welcome Mariam back for another season of Modern Pentathlon. Great to have you back here in the commentary box.
00:02:22 Thank you. It's great to be back. This season promises to be quite a season for the audience to watch as well as ourselves.
00:02:29 So we're excited to see what these athletes have in store for us this season.
00:02:35 They should be bringing their A-game.
00:02:37 So, yeah, obviously this is the Olympic year 2024, the Paris Olympic Games just around the corner.
00:02:45 The action will begin with the fencing bonus round, but we're just taking a quick look back on the fencing ranking round,
00:02:51 which took place, of course, yesterday. That there is Michelle Goullas on your screen, who has been in phenomenal form.
00:02:58 She won gold at the Hungarian Indoor Championships, the event that preceded this event.
00:03:04 26 victories she has picked up in the fencing ranking round, just nine defeats.
00:03:11 Michelle Goullas, we know how determined she is to try and get herself an Olympic medal.
00:03:17 She qualified for the Olympic Games already, and we will see just how good she's going to be this season.
00:03:26 And we'll take a look at the scores in a moment's time.
00:03:31 This, of course, is the fencing bonus round and the action gets underway with Sofia Corbera and Rebecca Castaldi from Guatemala and France taking to the piste.
00:03:45 First of all, it's over in a flash fencing bonus round, isn't it, Marion?
00:03:50 Yeah, that was a quick one from the French athlete Rebecca Castaldi.
00:03:56 I'm actually intrigued to see what the French come up with this season.
00:04:00 They haven't been in their best form last season, a bit of trouble in the shooting.
00:04:04 So hopefully they can recover from that and they're on a good show for us today.
00:04:09 Rebecca Castaldi is one of the younger crops from the athletes.
00:04:13 She has had varying degrees of success, though, in the youth level of the competition.
00:04:20 She was a 2022 junior world champion, 2022 junior European champion as well.
00:04:25 So she's picked up some good accolades in her young career so far.
00:04:29 She is one to watch for the future.
00:04:31 I wouldn't imagine she would qualify for these Olympic Games.
00:04:34 You never know. It's all to play for in 2024.
00:04:37 Up next, Mingyu Zhang of China, who is next up on the piste.
00:04:43 So China right with the French grip.
00:04:45 Castaldi looking to go for the attack because if that time ticks down, she is going to lose that touch.
00:04:53 A bit sloppy there, but it is the Chinese athlete with the second win.
00:04:58 Mingyu Zhang was seventh in the piste last year.
00:05:01 She was sixth at the Asian Championship in 2019, 2018 Asian Championship gold medalist.
00:05:07 She's picked up some good results in the past couple of years.
00:05:18 Just getting a replay of that move there from the Chinese athletes.
00:05:24 And we continue now with Anna Kazilykins from Germany making her way on to the piste.
00:05:32 Kazilykins has had a varying degree of success in the sport, a silver medalist in the World Cup final in 2021.
00:05:41 Surprised to see her at the bottom of the list here.
00:05:44 She's quite a good fencer, so not sure what happened there.
00:05:47 Maybe we'll get a word in from her during the day.
00:05:50 But it is Anna Kazilykins on the left, Mingyu Zhang on the right.
00:05:54 She goes in for an attack, doesn't get it.
00:05:56 Kazilykins is looking for that blade for a counter.
00:05:59 Will she be able to stop Mingyu Zhang?
00:06:02 And she does.
00:06:04 Anna Kazilykins with one win to her name.
00:06:07 Kazilykins there with the touch.
00:06:12 And that is now...
00:06:14 [CHANTING]
00:06:30 So continuing with the competition, Anna Kazilykins has picked up her first points.
00:06:34 And for those of you new to the sport, welcome.
00:06:36 This is the Northern Fence Athlon.
00:06:38 Five sports in one. Fencing, swimming, riding, shooting and running.
00:06:46 There's no riding in semifinals.
00:06:48 This is of course the fencing part of the competition.
00:06:51 Elena McKellie up on the piste.
00:06:54 Two-time world champion.
00:06:56 Had some luck here in Karg.
00:06:57 But Anna Kazilykins with the second touch.
00:07:00 Stops Elena McKellie at 17 seconds.
00:07:05 [CHANTING]
00:07:17 So there are the replays for you.
00:07:20 And Anna Kazilykins, her second win.
00:07:23 Longest run so far on this piste.
00:07:30 So just a reminder, two extra victories for every bounce, landing and fencing bonus round.
00:07:36 The idea really is to go on a bit of a run.
00:07:39 Because if you can put together two or three victories,
00:07:41 suddenly those points start to become more significant.
00:07:44 The world record by the way is 13 victories.
00:07:47 That was Rebecca Langer back in 2001, I think it was.
00:07:53 In Bulgaria, in Sofia.
00:07:57 Anna Kazilykins with two victories to her name so far.
00:08:00 That picks her up with four points.
00:08:03 Langer, Sata, Karbovnik.
00:08:05 Her point of view.
00:08:06 That is another victory.
00:08:08 It's now three for Anna Kazilykins.
00:08:11 Which is six points.
00:08:13 Now, the idea of semifinals is not to win.
00:08:15 It's not to come second, third or fourth.
00:08:17 The idea is to get inside that top nine.
00:08:20 If you get inside the top nine, you qualify for Super Saturday's finals.
00:08:24 So everybody that's fencing at the moment,
00:08:27 they're trying to get themselves inside that top nine.
00:08:30 Because currently Simon Prasov from the Volunteers
00:08:34 joins 9th place with Aminda Andal from Eden.
00:08:39 But from my experience, Amanda Andal is not the quickest laser runner.
00:08:43 She needs to have a really good fencing round to put herself in a position.
00:08:47 So Andal, you feel, is probably at risk.
00:08:50 But let's focus on this current bout.
00:08:52 It's an all-German affair.
00:08:54 It's Zillikens versus Coleman.
00:08:56 Zillikens with those three victories so far.
00:08:58 Coleman is on the defense.
00:08:59 Zillikens attacks and Coleman turns defense into attack.
00:09:03 And picks up those extra points.
00:09:06 Janine Coleman in good form.
00:09:07 She was fourth in the Hungarian World Championships event
00:09:10 before this event here in Cairo.
00:09:13 She defeats her teammate and picks up the extra victory.
00:09:16 The German team is looking strong.
00:09:18 You've got Anna Kazilykins, Janine Coleman, Rebecca Langer.
00:09:21 So no telling who's going to make it to those Olympic qualifications.
00:09:27 But Anna Kazilykins has already secured her spot at the Games.
00:09:32 But when I say secured her spot, there's something I have to explain.
00:09:35 You don't actually secure your own personal spot.
00:09:38 You secure a spot for your nation.
00:09:40 So your team then has the choice, don't they,
00:09:43 as to whether or not they put you forward.
00:09:46 Yeah, so these athletes are going to continue to fight it out
00:09:49 until the last competition before the Olympics,
00:09:52 which is the World Championships.
00:09:55 But it is Gintar Venkauskaitse up on the piece next against Janine Coleman.
00:10:00 Very strong laser runner.
00:10:03 And it looks like Janine Coleman got that touch.
00:10:06 It was a hand touch, I believe, from below.
00:10:08 We're going to see that in a second in the replays.
00:10:10 But a second win for Janine Coleman.
00:10:14 Venkauskaitse is a great athlete.
00:10:17 She's a very quick part of this strong Lithuanian contingent.
00:10:22 Venkauskaitse, 9th in Soviet last year, 5th and 1st last year.
00:10:26 She's picked up medals before once,
00:10:29 but this year 7th in the Lithuanian Games.
00:10:32 She's got to try and get in ahead of Javis Elapinietis.
00:10:36 Lithuanian team mate, Valentin T.
00:10:41 It's a tough one.
00:10:44 It's a very, very good Lithuanian team now.
00:10:48 Yeah, absolutely.
00:10:50 Amira Andal up next.
00:10:52 She is joint on points with Sara Pradil and Mariana Asaila,
00:10:55 both with 210 points from the fencing ranking round,
00:10:59 which equates to 17 victories.
00:11:02 Andal picks up those points, and that could be really useful for her.
00:11:05 She's, as you can see in the live scoring, moved up into 8th place.
00:11:11 This is where things get really compacted, don't they, Marian?
00:11:14 It's OK if she can climb as high as she can climb as high as she can fall to place.
00:11:19 Realistically, she won't have a chance of going higher than that.
00:11:22 I'll tell you what, my early prediction here is that
00:11:26 Przemysl could be a bit of a one to watch,
00:11:31 as the gold is just a bit high.
00:11:33 We'll come back to that in a moment, though,
00:11:34 because we're unfortunately on a piece at the moment.
00:11:36 This is, of course, the semi-final layer.
00:11:37 There's two semi-finals.
00:11:38 Get inside that top nine, you're in the final.
00:11:41 And that's when the medals will be secured.
00:11:44 It's all about trying to get into the Olympic Games this year,
00:11:48 and she does so with Olympic pentathlon world rankings.
00:11:53 Lida versus Saif Razal.
00:12:02 Saif Razal is taking what it is in her hands.
00:12:07 She's looking at that lunge forward.
00:12:10 Handel now picks up an extra two points,
00:12:14 and that's moved her now up into sixth place.
00:12:18 Handel moves into 260, she's up to sixth place.
00:12:22 So some significant points being made here
00:12:26 ahead of the swimming discipline.
00:12:30 We say goodbye to the Irish athlete,
00:12:33 and we welcome Mariana Ortega from Mexico.
00:12:37 She's had a good season last season,
00:12:40 so we're expecting her to show some more of that today
00:12:45 and further along in the competition.
00:12:47 Mariana had a great year last year.
00:12:49 Bronze medalist in Anchor,
00:12:51 she picked up medals in mixed relay as well.
00:12:53 She was a gold medalist in the Pan American Games in 2019,
00:12:57 and she ends that run there
00:13:00 and picks up those two extra useful points.
00:13:04 She's in the top nine where she wants to be at the moment,
00:13:11 but she hasn't secured her spot at the Olympic Games yet.
00:13:15 Pan American Games was held in Santiago, Chile,
00:13:19 at the back end of last year.
00:13:21 One of the Saphir Hernandez, Jessica Davis,
00:13:24 Isabella Obrado and Sol Naranjo
00:13:26 picking up a qualification there.
00:13:29 If you are competing against your teammates at that competition,
00:13:34 well, Maya and Oliver, for example, won gold at that competition.
00:13:38 Therefore, Mariana was unable to qualify
00:13:40 because you'd have to finish above your team in order to get it.
00:13:43 You can't get two of the same nation qualifying for the Pan American Games.
00:13:46 So Mariana missed out on qualification there,
00:13:48 so it's now time to try and get one of those ranking positions
00:13:51 to get herself qualified.
00:13:53 She's up against Laura Asdel-Skoti.
00:13:55 She's one of the most accomplished athletes on the circuit.
00:13:59 She's got the win against Mariana Seyer there.
00:14:02 She's won so much more over such an incredible career.
00:14:06 She was the London 2012 Olympic champion silver in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
00:14:11 She's also a mother of the most experienced athlete in the world.
00:14:16 39 years of age.
00:14:18 She truly is a remarkable human being.
00:14:21 Yes, she definitely is, and definitely an inspiration for the younger athletes here today
00:14:26 and watching from home.
00:14:28 She's going to be potentially competing in another Olympic Games at the age of 40.
00:14:35 That's a story in itself, isn't it?
00:14:37 She could easily get a medal as well, by the way.
00:14:39 Yes, we can't rule her out.
00:14:41 We know how her laser run is, so she's definitely a candidate for a medal.
00:14:48 Trying to stop here now on the fencing bonus round piece.
00:14:52 There's Alexandra Frazier from Italy.
00:14:56 She had a decent fencing round yesterday with 18 victories and 17 defeats.
00:15:02 More victories and defeats is the minimum aim for athletes.
00:15:08 Frazier gets that extra victory.
00:15:11 It's important, isn't it, to try and get as many victories as you can in the ranking.
00:15:16 So many points are determined by that.
00:15:18 If you have a bad fence, the competition is an awkward struggle from that point onwards.
00:15:23 Yes, and these athletes, even though the higher ranked athletes have fenced well,
00:15:29 you don't want the likes of Lara Svetskaitsev following you in that laser run.
00:15:34 So they'll be wanting to get those extra points here on the bonus round.
00:15:40 But also worth bearing in mind that the fencing ranking round results from the semifinal
00:15:45 continue through to the final.
00:15:47 So if you have a bad semifinal fencing ranking round, it continues throughout the rest of the competition.
00:15:53 Even if you do manage to squeeze through the semifinals into the final, it still kind of haunts you, doesn't it?
00:15:58 Salma Abdel-Maksoud, local Egyptian, good athlete, isn't she?
00:16:02 Yes, she's the Youth Olympic Games champion in 2018.
00:16:07 So a pretty solid athlete. We've seen her grab some medals last year as well.
00:16:12 We should be seeing a medal here as well, but it is a...
00:16:15 Sam again this year, or even better.
00:16:18 Let's see how she gets on.
00:16:22 We welcome the next athlete up on the piece, Ilka Azucil from Turkey.
00:16:29 We spoke with Ilka Azucil before this competition.
00:16:32 You'll see a feature length interview with her on the highlight show, released after this event.
00:16:37 And she spoke very openly about her passage through this sport and how she's managed to make her way through the private splits.
00:16:46 And her training, she's been there against Alexandra Frese.
00:16:50 And Ilka Azucil is one to watch. She's an athlete finding form at the right time.
00:16:55 She was a silver medalist in the World Cup final in Ankara last year.
00:16:59 She was seventh at the World Championships.
00:17:02 She is picking up medals more consistently in this sport.
00:17:07 She's super fast, one of the fastest runners out there.
00:17:10 Pushes herself beyond the pain barrier.
00:17:13 She has that determination and that grit that not every athlete possesses.
00:17:20 Most of them do, of course.
00:17:22 But she's up now against Kate French, who is the reigning Olympic champion.
00:17:28 Kate French has been an absent member of the sport for quite some time.
00:17:35 It makes you curious on what she has to offer.
00:17:38 She's been out of the running for quite some time now, since the Olympic season, essentially.
00:17:43 It makes you curious what she has to offer.
00:17:45 I think the impression is kind of that she has 23 victories in the fencing ranking round.
00:17:50 She's always an accomplished fencer.
00:17:53 And Kate French looking to go back-to-back Olympic medals.
00:17:58 She's a gold medalist in Tokyo.
00:18:00 This is her first event for a while now.
00:18:02 She did pop back briefly and picked up one bronze medal in her only event she competed in since Tokyo.
00:18:09 Zooksal gets the touch. It's now a couple of victories for Zooksal.
00:18:14 Moves her on to 2-2-4.
00:18:17 I think Zooksal will be comfortably into the final bar.
00:18:21 There's really anything I can't bring.
00:18:23 The only real sort of random element left now for Zooksal is of course the shooting.
00:18:29 Which you never know, could come unstuck.
00:18:32 But Zooksal is a good lady to run beside.
00:18:34 I imagine we'll see a Zooksal.
00:18:35 I think the top four, let's not get ahead of ourselves, but the top four look good.
00:18:39 There's a big gap between Zooksal and French in the standings of the sport in the fencing ranking round.
00:18:50 Eunju Kim.
00:18:52 We are in our top two athletes from the semi-final.
00:18:55 Eunju Kim from Korea next up on the piece.
00:18:58 She's never got an individual medal at a World Cup before.
00:19:02 So this certainly puts her in a good position to do so.
00:19:06 And again, Ilka Zooksal with a foot touch.
00:19:14 I think three wins is the highest we've had so far.
00:19:19 Yeah, actually, Anna Kizilik and Jepp, she had three wins, didn't she?
00:19:24 So this is proving to be a good run for Zooksal.
00:19:28 The last athlete up on the piece, Michal Gulyas of Hungary.
00:19:46 Eunju Kim of Korea.
00:19:49 Defeated by Ilka Zooksal, who beats French and Kim.
00:19:59 Here we go then, the final bout.
00:20:00 Gulyas versus Zooksal.
00:20:03 Gulyas has been in superb form, so focused in this competition.
00:20:08 Up against Ilka Zooksal.
00:20:10 Zooksal with three victories to her name so far.
00:20:12 This worth four extra points for Michal Gulyas.
00:20:15 We're in the final 15 seconds of the final fencing bonus round bout.
00:20:19 This is worth good points for Michal Gulyas.
00:20:23 She's looking to coast her way into the final five and Gulyas gets the touch.
00:20:27 She picks up the extra points and in doing so has given herself a score of 259 points.
00:20:36 It was 26 victories in the ranking round for Gulyas, who is looking, I have to say, in phenomenal form.
00:20:42 She comes into the competition on the back with a victory at the Hungarian Indoor Championships just a couple of weeks ago.
00:20:49 Gulyas is on fire.
00:20:52 She is, yeah.
00:20:53 I'm not ruling her out this early on for a medal at the Olympics, to be honest.
00:20:57 Definitely not ruling her out.
00:20:58 I think she's one of the favorites.
00:21:01 There you go, fencing bonus round completed.
00:21:05 Let's take a look at the scores.
00:21:06 Gulyas on 259 ahead of Eunju Kim in second place on 250.
00:21:10 Cape French on 240.
00:21:12 Bit of a drop off then.
00:21:13 It's 14 points the gap between Azugtel and French Azugtel.
00:21:16 Those three victories closing that gap a little bit there.
00:21:20 Sam Rabdomak is in fifth place.
00:21:22 Freser in sixth.
00:21:23 Astos Gautien in seventh.
00:21:24 Ander in eighth.
00:21:25 And Arceo is in ninth place.
00:21:28 Looking a bit further down then, bearing in mind this is that battle for ninth place.
00:21:35 Zaev Bresl is in tenth place, not too far off that top nine.
00:21:39 Van Karskate could be dangerous as well.
00:21:41 Janine Coleman in twelfth.
00:21:42 We've got Kobalnik in thirteenth place.
00:21:45 Zillikens in fourteenth.
00:21:47 You remember those three victories she had in the fencing bonus round.
00:21:49 Elena McKellie in fifteenth place.
00:21:51 A two times world champion.
00:21:53 Has work to do if she is to try and get herself into the final.
00:21:57 Mingyu Zhang in sixteenth place.
00:22:00 Rebecca Castaldi in seventeenth.
00:22:01 And Sofia Cribera in eighteenth place.
00:22:05 So that concludes then the fencing bonus round action.
00:22:11 Let's take a look back at some of the highlights before moving over to the swimming.
00:22:16 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:22:19 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:22:23 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:22:26 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:22:29 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:22:33 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:22:36 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:22:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:22:54 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:22:57 So these were your highlights for the fencing bonus round of the semifinal A.
00:23:12 And if you're just joining us, welcome back to the UIPM TV.
00:23:15 I am Maryam Aymar bringing you live action from the first World Cup of this 2024 Olympic season.
00:23:22 So if you are just joining us, this is semifinal A here in Cairo.
00:23:27 And here's a quick look of how we transition from the fencing bonus round to the swimming pool.
00:23:32 And it's a short one minute walk for the athletes.
00:23:35 So 200 meters.
00:23:37 It's a 50 meter pool.
00:23:39 230 gets you 250 points.
00:23:41 You want to get below that to get the most points you can get.
00:23:47 And we are expecting to see some quick times.
00:23:50 It is Olympic season, so athletes are bringing their A game.
00:23:54 Today only nine athletes qualify from each semifinal, bringing us to a total of 18 athletes for Saturday's final.
00:24:02 And I did just get the start list for the swimming semifinal A.
00:24:06 We have three heats.
00:24:08 And the athletes are of course ordered from the results of the fencing bonus round.
00:24:13 So the first heat will be the athletes lower ranked.
00:24:18 There you have it.
00:24:21 And this season we are testing some new features that are going to make this broadcast much more interesting for everyone watching out there.
00:24:30 We're trying to bring the audience as close as possible to all the action.
00:24:34 So as I speak, James is out on the field trying to bring you real time interviews with our athletes and coaches to get their insight in between the disciplines.
00:24:45 There you can see the athletes are just doing some final prep there before the swimming.
00:24:52 They don't get to warm up in the pool, but they did have an hour to warm up before the start of the bonus round.
00:24:59 And I believe that's on you, Kim, on your screen there with their coach.
00:25:06 This promises to be a quick swim from the athletes.
00:25:12 No athlete is safe as of now.
00:25:15 It's all about getting into those top nine.
00:25:17 But Kim will be the athlete swimming in the final heat as she is now ranked in number two.
00:25:25 There you have the German team heading up the steps and waiting for the athletes.
00:25:33 We have two Germans in the semifinal, Annika Zillikens and Janine Coleman in heat one and two.
00:25:45 But yeah, we're just at the calm before the storm at the moment.
00:25:52 And we're going to soon head to James, who's going to be poolside with these athletes and coaches trying to get a word in and trying to get you guys closer to the action and just a general feel of the competition itself.
00:26:11 And there you have it.
00:26:14 There is Alessandra Frese on your screen.
00:26:18 Alessandra Frese has not yet qualified for the Olympic Games.
00:26:22 I can give you a quick rundown of who has already qualified as of now.
00:26:28 So from the previous World Cup final, we have Elena McKellie who qualified.
00:26:33 We have six athletes, eight athletes, sorry, who qualified from the European competition.
00:26:39 We have Alicia Sotero, Laura Heredia, Olivia Green, Lara Asgaiti, Maria Oteza, Michelle Goulash, Annika Zillikens and Lucy Lvovackova.
00:26:52 But again, we have lots of spots still waiting to be filled from these athletes.
00:27:00 And yeah, it's going to be a good season.
00:27:03 So stay tuned.
00:27:08 So these athletes are now looking to put themselves if not for a position for a medal per se, but maybe just into that top ranking for the Olympic qualifications, trying to get in some good points.
00:27:25 Here we have Rebecca Castaldi of France and Annika Zillikens.
00:27:35 Annika Zillikens was a silver, got a silver at the World Cup final at in the 2021 season, gold in the mixed relay World Cup final in 2021 as well, and bronze at the World Cup final in 2019.
00:27:54 And we are almost ready to start the swimming.
00:28:00 But again, it is looking sunny, good conditions for pentathlon.
00:28:06 There you have Amira Anzil, the Egyptian athlete, former junior medalist and youth world champion from 2022.
00:28:18 And up on your screen now is Elena McKelley, the reigning world champion, two time world champion.
00:28:26 And she didn't fence to her, the best of her abilities yesterday and has some work to do to be able to get into those top nine qualifying for Super Saturday.
00:28:40 Russell up on your screen.
00:28:45 And here we have the medalist, the Egyptian athlete, the bronze medalist, the Egyptian athlete, the bronze medalist.
00:28:57 And here we have the medalist, the Egyptian athlete, the Egyptian athlete, the bronze medalist.
00:29:05 As these athletes ready themselves for the swimming discipline.
00:29:15 Elena McKelley, our reigning world champion.
00:29:22 Again, Elena McKelley had a rough fencing yesterday, 13 victories and 22 defeats, which is not really her average.
00:29:37 But again, that sometimes happens in modern pentathlon and we have to be ready for that.
00:29:48 So the Italian team right there on your screen gathering for Alessandra Frese and Elena McKelley.
00:30:07 So just a few minutes until we introduce our first athletes of heat number one.
00:30:19 Our Olympic champion in view there, Cape French.
00:30:27 So just being there, poolside, just to get a bit of a vibe as to what things are like and everyone's obviously focused, locked in.
00:30:37 And obviously this is a key part of the competition from their point of view in terms of trying to make sure they get this transition right.
00:30:47 There's not a lot of time between these two parts, is there? It's just a 10 minute break between the fencing bonus rounds and the swimming.
00:30:59 So it's such a different sport to take part in, isn't it, in terms of the fencing disciplines and of course the swimming.
00:31:09 The athletes really have to focus on warming up specific body parts. It's not straightforward, this, is it?
00:31:16 No, it isn't. And as you said, it's only 10 minutes, so they need to change in those 10 minutes.
00:31:21 They need to quickly warm up before the next discipline.
00:31:27 So it's not easy and it's definitely a game of trying to focus and trying to keep that focus all through the competition.
00:31:34 It's an hour and a half. And there we have our first swimming heat.
00:31:40 These are the athletes who will be taking part in swimming heat one. Kobovnik in lane two, Zilikins in lane three, Micheli in lane four, Zhang in five, Kostoudy in six, Krobera in seven.
00:31:54 So those will be the athletes that take part in that first swimming heat.
00:31:59 The judges are already in position and we'll welcome the athletes one by one as they get themselves in position for this first swimming heat.
00:32:13 So Malgorzata Kobovnik of Poland is one of the new athletes in the circuit this year, isn't she?
00:32:24 She'll obviously be pretty pleased to have got herself through qualifications and into the semifinals.
00:32:30 And we'll begin to see what we can learn from this athlete over the course of the season.
00:32:35 She does continue to do as well as she's done, getting into the semifinals and making a bit of a name for herself early on.
00:32:40 Yeah, I mean, just qualifying for the finals can get you some pretty important points in terms of the Olympic rankings.
00:32:49 Up next is Annika Zilikins, a former World Cup final silver medalist back in Czechoslovakia in 2021.
00:33:02 Elena Micheli wants to be further up the ranking. She's used to winning medals.
00:33:08 She is one of the in-form athletes of this sport.
00:33:13 She is a back-to-back two times world champion.
00:33:18 It's very, very incredible what she's achieved.
00:33:21 And she has a bit of a struggle to try and get herself into the final, but she's a good swimmer.
00:33:26 But yeah, we're expecting her to get the quickest time of this heat.
00:33:30 Yeah. Anticipating a time of around 2.15 from her.
00:33:35 Maybe it could be Kobovnik and Micheli battling it out.
00:33:43 Rebecca Castaldi, final athlete out.
00:33:46 Well, actually, no, we've still got Sofia Cabrera to welcome out.
00:33:49 So it's Rebecca Castaldi and then it'll be Sofia Cabrera.
00:33:59 And here comes Sofia Cabrera, then Guatemala athlete.
00:34:02 So there we have our six athletes for this swimming heat.
00:34:18 And there they are, primed and ready to go.
00:34:26 Here we go, the athletes then just getting themselves onto the start position for this 50-meter pool.
00:34:36 Olympic-sized pool and off we go.
00:34:38 Swimming heat one of the swimming discipline is underway.
00:34:43 And at the front of your shot there and off to a very quick start is Kobovnik from Poland.
00:34:50 That's Elena Micheli, who is in lane four.
00:34:56 Just gliding there.
00:34:58 Don't see how much effort is actually being put in by these athletes, but goes to show just how good of swimmers they are.
00:35:08 It's a smooth start this time.
00:35:10 And Micheli and Kobovnik are battling the pool position at the moment.
00:35:17 Kobovnik has the narrow lead in lane two at the moment.
00:35:20 There is Elena Micheli, the two times world champion, back-to-back world champion.
00:35:29 Who I think has possibly edged into a bit of a lead here.
00:35:33 It's very close between these two as we approach the half-way stage of this race.
00:35:37 Swimming times are less than they were with the old former athletes to save a bit of energy for the later run.
00:35:42 They don't want to carry too much lactic acid with them into the later run.
00:35:47 And then Micheli then over the time of 1.05 at the half-way stage.
00:35:52 Kobovnik just under a second away from her.
00:35:56 You might see that change a bit.
00:35:59 Kobovnik is looking a bit stronger here in the final hundred meters of this race.
00:36:06 But it is Elena still in the lead.
00:36:12 So approaching then the final turn here.
00:36:16 Here we go, final 50 meters then.
00:36:18 And it is close between the Italian and the Polish athletes in this final 50 meters of Swimming Heat 1.
00:36:25 Three Swimming Heats to bring you coverage off here.
00:36:34 Here we go, the final 25 meters of this race.
00:36:37 Elena still in the lead. Kobovnik not too far behind.
00:36:42 It looks like Elena will be taking the win.
00:36:45 Here we go then, final few meters of this first Swimming Heat.
00:36:49 Elena Micheli of Italy takes the win.
00:36:53 The quickest time in the pool as we expected.
00:36:55 Kobovnik in second place, Zhang in third.
00:36:58 Those are your top three from the first Swimming Heat.
00:37:03 Useful points that for Micheli.
00:37:05 She will move up the rankings for sure.
00:37:09 And that could well be just what she needed to get her place in the final.
00:37:15 Back on track, never rule out Elena Micheli.
00:37:19 And that is a useful swim as expected.
00:37:22 Who knew she'd make up time in the pool.
00:37:28 And she is one of the fastest swimmers in this semi-final.
00:37:44 The athletes from that first heat will now get changed quickly.
00:37:47 And we'll see them shortly on the Laser Run field for their warm-up.
00:37:51 Right here you have the replays of the race.
00:37:58 Elena Micheli was basically leading that race from the get-go.
00:38:04 Kobovnik also scoring some useful points in the swimming.
00:38:09 She is currently at the bottom of the rankings.
00:38:13 So that definitely puts her in a better position at the start of the Laser Run.
00:38:20 Let's take a look at the sound exam and how that's affected things so far.
00:38:24 Micheli has moved just behind Kobovnik.
00:38:28 And Kobovnik with a very good swim there.
00:38:30 Those two could be very much so in that battle for ninth place later on.
00:38:35 But we move on to Swimming Heat 2.
00:38:37 In Lane 2 it is Astas Gaiti of Lithuania, Andal of Egypt in Lane 3, Arseo of Mexico in Lane 4,
00:38:45 Razil of Ireland in Lane 5, and Kaus Gaiti of Lithuania in Lane 6, Coleman of Germany in Lane 7.
00:38:52 You can see there the two-time Olympic medalist, gold medalist in London 2012,
00:39:03 silver medalist in Tokyo, finishing behind Cape French,
00:39:08 Laura Astas Gaiti of Lithuania is first to make her way out to poolside.
00:39:15 Swimming in Lane 3, Amira Anzil, the Egyptian athlete, competing in front of her home crowd,
00:39:31 and the Youth World Champion of 2022.
00:39:36 Andal making her way out there.
00:39:39 Simon Andal is Mariana Arseo, always has a big smile on her face, always great in front of the camera.
00:39:50 Good ambassador for the sports, good ambassador for herself as well, she's doing very well in the last couple of seasons.
00:40:00 Last couple of seasons, Saif Razil of Ireland is out next.
00:40:08 Saif Razil has been a consistent face in this sport for some time now,
00:40:13 and she's in a good position after these events in the ranking round.
00:40:16 Then Kaus Gaiti is out next.
00:40:27 And then finally, to complete the athletes for swimming, Janine Coleman makes her way out.
00:40:35 And heading towards the start of this race.
00:40:41 Swimming heat 2 of 3, athletes are ready, we're ready, hopefully everybody watching at home, you're all ready.
00:40:49 That's this pentathlon competition that continues. Semi-final 8 of the two semi-finals.
00:40:56 And the athletes who have finished swimming heat 1 are already starting to make their way towards the laser on the warm-up area.
00:41:05 But here we go, swimming heat 2 is underway.
00:41:11 That looked like a good start for Mariana Arseo, by the way.
00:41:16 And Tara Ben-Kaus Gaiti as well with a good launch into the pool.
00:41:21 First 50 meters of this race are underway.
00:41:26 It looks like the lead number two, Amira Enzine, as well as Mariana Arseo, are in the lead at the moment.
00:41:33 Heading into their first tumble turn.
00:41:38 They are just together at this point.
00:41:44 It's lane 2 at the front of your screen, lane 3, which is Amira Handel.
00:41:50 With some good early paces in this second swimming heat.
00:41:56 We are at the halfway stage now.
00:42:04 This time so far of the day has gone to Michele from Italy.
00:42:14 It was around a split time of 1.05 for Michele as well, so Handel is keeping pace.
00:42:19 Yeah, you should get a similar time to Michele's.
00:42:26 So again, these athletes are not giving their 100% to save some of that energy for the laser and where they really need it.
00:42:37 But again, it's all about balance and finding that pace.
00:42:44 Yeah, the way in which athletes attack swimming these days has changed somewhat in that they do conserve energy.
00:42:55 It was a flat out sprint in the previous one, and each individual sprint was its own stand-alone event.
00:43:01 Now it's all mashed together in a one minute, one hour 30 frenzy.
00:43:06 And here we have a really strong finish at the end of this swim.
00:43:12 Between Arceo and Handel.
00:43:16 Handel finding a bit of extra pace.
00:43:19 And it will be Handel who will get the win.
00:43:22 It's the time of 2.18 for Amira Handel.
00:43:26 It was Coleman, sorry, that was in that battle in the end, who came through in second place.
00:43:31 Marianne Arceo taking third.
00:43:35 And that completes swimming heat number two.
00:43:39 So it is still Elena Michele with the fastest time of today of 2.16.
00:43:49 Amira Handel leading her heat at 2.18.
00:43:59 She's in the lead by a second of that swimming discipline, swimming heat number two.
00:44:06 One to go. This will be a pretty quick one.
00:44:09 Michele Goullas is in this swimming heat.
00:44:11 She's been in a very, very good form.
00:44:16 So there are two of them.
00:44:24 So there are the results as things stand at the moment.
00:44:32 Amira Enzil has moved to the top of the list.
00:44:35 Marianne Arceo in second.
00:44:37 Laura Asghati in third.
00:44:39 Janine Coleman in fifth.
00:44:41 Carbott Nick in sixth.
00:44:43 Kelly Enric in seventh.
00:44:45 And in ninth is the Shanks.
00:44:48 But we still have one more heat of the semifinal.
00:44:51 Amira Handel is in a battle to get herself into that final.
00:44:55 Because she keeps pace on the first couple of laps of Laser Run
00:44:59 and then generally seems to tail off towards the end.
00:45:02 So it'll be interesting to see how she gets on.
00:45:06 These are the athletes then for swimming heat.
00:45:10 Number three, Goullas, Kim French, Azouk Souad, Abdel Maksoud and Fréjier.
00:45:15 Chilly morning in Cairo today.
00:45:18 It is. It's kind of deceiving because on your screen there you can see sun,
00:45:22 but it is a bit chilly.
00:45:24 Yeah, you might be able to hear the wind blowing in the background a little bit actually.
00:45:28 It's not quite as warm as we had yesterday.
00:45:32 It's warmer in the sunshine.
00:45:34 Michelle Goullas out first.
00:45:37 Comes into this competition in super good form.
00:45:40 She looks very relaxed today.
00:45:42 It has to be said she's been very focused in this competition.
00:45:45 It's Anju Kim of Korea who is out next.
00:45:52 Anju Kim making a bit of a name for herself.
00:45:55 It has to be said it's a very competitive Korean team.
00:46:00 Anju Kim was a bronze medalist in the team relay in Sofian in 2021.
00:46:06 She's kind of come out of nowhere at this competition so far.
00:46:10 It's a bit of a mystery who she is obviously, but it's the likes of someone like Kim who sort of grabs the attention of the Korean athletes.
00:46:19 She's done well to mix things up at the top.
00:46:22 Ilkoo Ruzuksel, World Cup final silver medalist in Ankara last year.
00:46:27 As we've mentioned earlier on in the broadcast, she is finding form at the right time,
00:46:31 heading into the Olympic year in good, good mental form,
00:46:35 dancing well and competing well and generally doing a good job.
00:46:40 Salma Abdel Maksoud, who was a bronze medalist last year at this competition,
00:46:46 Egyptian athlete in home conditions.
00:46:49 She could be dangerous here.
00:46:52 And finally, Alexandra Fraser from Italy completes our lineup for the third swimming heat.
00:47:01 So as I mentioned, the athletes have started to filter their way into the Laser Run Arena already.
00:47:09 So if Ellen O'Mckelley and Annika Zilikins have already got themselves into the Laser Run Arena,
00:47:18 it gives them a bit of an advantage, doesn't it, in terms of getting themselves warmed up a bit quicker?
00:47:23 Yeah, they do need it the most out of this group.
00:47:28 So here we go. The athletes are primed and ready for swimming heat three.
00:47:34 This is, of course, the final heat of this women's semifinal.
00:47:42 We should be getting a better picture. And off we go.
00:47:46 So yeah, the athletes are in the pool. Then the final swimming heat is underway.
00:47:57 There we go.
00:47:59 Heading towards the 50m mark.
00:48:03 Looks like Michelle Gouyash on lane number two, as well as Salma Abdel Maksoud are neck and neck.
00:48:24 Gouyash and O'Mckelley have had a good rivalry over the past couple of years.
00:48:31 It might be that Gouyash gets the edge over O'Mckelley in Cairo, but she's swimming very quick.
00:48:38 It has been O'Mckelley with the quickest game of the day so far in the pool.
00:48:43 But obviously Gouyash is being left a little bit behind here as we approach the halfway stage.
00:48:49 It is close. Gouyash will have work to do. She's to get in front of Abdel Maksoud.
00:48:55 Kate French, who's not famous for her swimming time, is in third place.
00:49:01 Kate French, a very consistent laser on her. She shoots so consistently. Runs well as well.
00:49:07 And as mentioned, it's not about winning medals today. It's not about getting into that top three.
00:49:11 It's about getting into that top nine.
00:49:13 And it's the top three of, well, top four really of Gouyash, Kim, French and Azouk.
00:49:22 So I think we're going to be able to safely through to the final bar in a big mishap on the laser.
00:49:28 Right, into that final 50 meter push step.
00:49:33 Abdel Maksoud is out in front and flying. Gouyash is coming back stronger.
00:49:38 Finding a bit of pace in these last few stages of the swim.
00:49:43 Long strides that from Samra Abdel Maksoud.
00:49:46 Gouyash, as we see in the moment, at the bottom of the screen is probably a couple of seconds back now.
00:49:53 Samra Abdel Maksoud has found the pace in the pool.
00:49:58 Heading towards finish.
00:50:01 And it is Samra Abdel Maksoud who is 1.11 seconds ahead of Gouyash. 3.40 seconds ahead of French.
00:50:10 And that there, your top three in the league.
00:50:13 That then concludes the three swimming heats.
00:50:18 And we look forward to getting that penta coverage of the laser on, which is always the ever dramatic finish to Pentathlon.
00:50:26 So Samra Abdel Maksoud at 2.16 as well as Alena McKellie.
00:50:40 Not really sure who has that slight edge, but it doesn't matter now because essentially it does grant you the same points.
00:50:49 Yeah, it does make a big difference as it adds the points, it's two points per second.
00:50:58 There's a quick replay for you of that final heat as we find some at-beats making their way onto the laser run.
00:51:14 At the moment already at-beats, I can see a couple of at-beats are running, warming up ahead of this laser run.
00:51:25 But going back to that replay, Michelle Gouyash was consistently in second place behind Samra Abdel Maksoud.
00:51:33 I don't think she was pushing that hard, she doesn't need to at this point.
00:51:36 She's leading this pack pretty well, so conserving that energy for Saturday where the medals do make a difference.
00:51:49 So as you can see there, Samra Abdel Maksoud came home in first at 2.16, Michelle Gouyash one second behind and there are the standings.
00:52:00 Yeah, you can see Gouyash 24 points ahead of Kate French. Gouyash will almost certainly safely be through to the final.
00:52:09 As will French, that gap 13 seconds over Abdel Maksoud in third place.
00:52:14 Zuxel in fourth has closed that gap right up, hasn't she, to Samra Abdel Maksoud.
00:52:19 She's now just six seconds behind and then things get pretty close, don't they?
00:52:22 Three seconds further behind is Andal who's moved up the standings nicely.
00:52:25 Kim in sixth place, Arsenao in seventh, Freser in eighth and Asda El-Sgaiti is in ninth place.
00:52:32 But Asda El-Sgaiti is such a quick runner, you feel that it's Freser the one that they will really be trying to close in on.
00:52:36 Brazil in tenth place, Coleman in eleventh, Kobotnik in twelfth.
00:52:42 Micheli in thirteenth will be one you need to keep your eye on.
00:52:46 As will Venkalskaiti actually.
00:52:48 Zilikins could maybe make moves.
00:52:50 Grubera down in eighteenth place.
00:52:55 So it's pretty calm at the Laser Run at the moment.
00:53:12 Just athletes finding their way.
00:53:15 And first we'll throw to the montage from the swimming event.
00:53:20 [MUSIC]
00:53:30 [MUSIC]
00:53:40 [MUSIC]
00:53:50 [MUSIC]
00:54:00 [MUSIC]
00:54:10 [MUSIC]
00:54:20 [MUSIC]
00:54:30 So the swimming discipline is done and dusk.
00:54:34 It's time now to focus our attention on the Laser Run.
00:54:40 The ever exciting, ever climatic end to modern pentathlon.
00:54:46 And we can see here how things move over to the Laser Run from the pool.
00:54:49 Five times 600 meters or 3000 meters total run.
00:54:52 Handicap start.
00:54:53 So the points are turned into times.
00:54:57 We'll come back to that in a moment.
00:54:59 It's time for Laser Shooting Routines.
00:55:02 The first lap is a formation lap.
00:55:04 Then it's into the Laser Shootings.
00:55:05 You've got to hit the five targets before you can move on.
00:55:09 And try to get yourself inside that top nine.
00:55:14 And there you go.
00:55:16 That's Laser Run in a nutshell.
00:55:18 [MUSIC]
00:55:31 So building up then to the start of the Laser Run.
00:55:35 It's all about getting inside that top nine as we build up to the conclusion of semifinal A.
00:55:44 And this is where things get really exciting, Marion.
00:55:47 I mean, we're just waiting for this moment.
00:55:51 Only nine athletes get to make it to the first final of the season, the World Cup here in Cairo.
00:55:58 For Super Saturday.
00:56:00 You can see on your screen there the riding fences which will not be used today.
00:56:05 But we will see them on Saturday, which will, of course, feature the riding event.
00:56:11 Sofía Cabrera down in 18th place.
00:56:14 She is quite some way off.
00:56:17 46 seconds away from ninth place.
00:56:20 It would take an incredible performance for her to get into her first final of the season.
00:56:25 Silicons. It's not impossible for silicons.
00:56:28 She's 19 seconds behind us, Dasgaiti.
00:56:31 What do you think the athletes are looking at here in terms of the athletes that are further down?
00:56:36 Are they looking at Laura Dasgaiti, who we know is so quick and could easily end up in first place?
00:56:41 Are they thinking, well, actually, we need to look at Alexandra Fraser, who's in eighth place,
00:56:47 as the athlete they're going to be trying to catch.
00:56:49 Or maybe someone higher up.
00:56:51 Because actually what we've got here is the faster athletes further down, further up.
00:57:03 There you can see on your screens there is the athlete they'll all be trying to catch.
00:57:31 Is that Asadas Gaiti? That's Van Kaas Gaiti.
00:57:34 How is your athlete back knowledge?
00:57:37 You kind of get a sense from running behind them all the time.
00:57:41 Interestingly, you do sort of pick up on people's running style.
00:57:45 Asadas Gaiti does have quite a unique running style, doesn't she?
00:57:49 I mean, I think all the Lithuanians do. They run pretty differently.
00:57:52 They're quick.
00:57:53 They are quick, yeah.
00:57:54 I mean, their footwork is phenomenal.
00:57:58 And you can actually see the different running styles of different athletes.
00:58:02 And maybe that reflects on their time.
00:58:05 I think it's a whole research process, but they do definitely have a very unique style to them.
00:58:12 And we can still look at this on your screen as well.
00:58:15 Asadas Gaiti, beautiful shot there of Arceo and Nzil shooting in the range.
00:58:25 I think at this moment, if athletes really catch wind of...
00:58:30 Talk to us about that style there.
00:58:32 I think it was the Korean athlete who was sort of like lunging forward.
00:58:36 Is that something you've done before, Mariam, as a former athlete?
00:58:39 I think the style of running when it comes to Koreans is that they really use the strength in their legs
00:58:47 and kind of propel themselves forward.
00:58:51 I think other athletes just tend to have a quicker stride, a shorter stride.
00:58:58 So, yeah, it doesn't really... There isn't a right or wrong here.
00:59:02 It's just about what works for you.
00:59:06 Does Gulyash win gold at this event, do you think, given the form that she's in?
00:59:10 I know it's about getting into the final, but I think we can already start making predictions
00:59:13 given how good her form's been so far.
00:59:16 She's one of the most consistent athletes I think I've seen in the sport ever.
00:59:21 A pretty good fencer, a very solid laser runner.
00:59:24 Big statement. One of the most consistent athletes you've seen ever.
00:59:27 Yeah, I think she's proven that and she's earned that.
00:59:30 So I wouldn't rule her out for gold.
00:59:33 We've seen stuff happen before. We still have the riding event,
00:59:37 which can be a bit unpredictable when it comes to points.
00:59:41 But definitely with her 26 victories yesterday, I would not count her out for the gold for this event.
00:59:49 Interesting. Yeah, she is one to watch for sure this season.
00:59:56 Cape French, another one to keep an eye on.
00:59:59 We know just how good she is at the height of her game.
01:00:02 She is an Olympic gold medalist and she dominated in the 2021 season.
01:00:08 And it's no surprise to see her back at the top,
01:00:13 straight down the barrel of the gun.
01:00:17 And look at that, she's wearing a different cap.
01:00:20 Yeah, we haven't got her famous red cap.
01:00:23 Famous red Ferrari cap. Other car brands are available.
01:00:28 That's interesting actually. What happened to Michelle's lucky red hat?
01:00:32 I bet it comes back out for when she starts running by the way.
01:00:35 Maybe during the finals she needs to pop it out.
01:00:39 Maybe in the new year, new Michelle. Cool guys.
01:00:43 Yeah, again, we joke about this stuff all the time,
01:00:45 about having lucky charms or lucky caps and whatnot.
01:00:48 But it's really their training and the effort they put into the season is what counts.
01:00:55 Athletes and coaches, we are five minutes to start.
01:01:01 Five minutes to start, athletes. You need to wrap up your warm-up.
01:01:06 Begin moving to the starting line, please.
01:01:09 Five minutes to start, women's semifinal group A.
01:01:14 Top nine are going to make it to the finals
01:01:18 and the opportunity for the big points on the road to Paris 2024.
01:01:25 Five minutes to start, men's and women's.
01:01:31 Top nine players are going to make it to the finals
01:01:35 after five minutes to start.
01:01:39 Top nine players are going to make it to the finals.
01:01:43 Top nine players are going to make it to the finals.
01:01:46 Top nine players are going to make it to the finals.
01:01:54 Lara Asadaskaitsev, another shot there.
01:01:57 One of the more accomplished athletes in the field.
01:02:00 Just doing some final shooting prep.
01:02:03 Again, we say this consistently, but it all does come down to the shooting
01:02:11 because essentially your running times are dictated by your training
01:02:15 and you kind of get a sense of what you're going to do during the competition.
01:02:19 It's all about that unpredictable element, which is the shooting.
01:02:24 And just focusing on that is the key here.
01:02:29 Gouyash just doing some running checks.
01:02:44 I've heard that Michelle Gouyash actually had a running training camp earlier this year
01:02:49 or maybe it was last year in Kenya.
01:02:52 So an altitude training camp will definitely do her performance better.
01:02:58 I mean, she's already a strong runner, so I can imagine.
01:03:01 It has been something she's been working on her running, hasn't it?
01:03:03 Because she's been caught a couple of times on track.
01:03:05 I remember notably she was caught by Elodie Cluvel.
01:03:09 I think it was in the 2022 World Cup final.
01:03:13 My memory serves correct.
01:03:14 She was overtaken on track and she's lost a couple of medals.
01:03:18 Not necessarily medals, but positions from being caught by running.
01:03:23 So as you can hear now, the range is closed and we're about ready to start.
01:03:32 Three minutes away from the start of this race.
01:03:35 This is the first of two races we'll be having today.
01:03:38 This is women's semifinal A.
01:03:40 Later in the afternoon, we will bring you coverage of semifinal B.
01:03:45 But nine athletes will make it to Saturday's final from the semifinal.
01:03:52 Janine Coleman, Rebecca Castaldi.
01:04:07 After Masoud competing in front of her home crowd, she got bronze here last year.
01:04:19 So shooting range is closed.
01:04:22 Athletes are making their way to the start of the laser run.
01:04:32 Just checking the times, who've I got to get in front of or who've I got to stay in front of.
01:04:37 Cypres will win 11th place.
01:04:39 Has to make up two places to get into the final.
01:04:42 There's your start list.
01:04:43 Goullas, French, Abdelmouksoud and Ilka Rzucsel.
01:04:48 Look at that gap there between Goullas and French.
01:04:50 Goullas is looking relaxed for a reason.
01:04:53 Those are your top nine.
01:04:54 Lara Dasgati 58 seconds off the lead.
01:04:57 Freser 55 seconds off the lead.
01:04:59 Arceo is a quick runner as well.
01:05:01 Basically the athletes from 10th to 18th are relying on the athletes above making mistakes to be honest.
01:05:09 But there's some quick runners there.
01:05:11 Coleman is, well she's a few seconds away from that top nine.
01:05:16 As is Brazel.
01:05:18 Ellen McKellie keeping on her 13th place, two times world champion.
01:05:23 She's a quick runner, she's a good shooter.
01:05:24 She could get in that top position.
01:05:26 But Fengkouskati as well.
01:05:28 There's still lots that could change here.
01:05:29 It's all about getting into that top nine.
01:05:31 And there is Zemira Andel.
01:05:38 Stretching or sleeping?
01:05:40 I think she's just getting some blood into her head at the moment.
01:05:44 It's kind of a weird position to start a race.
01:05:47 I mean you're starting in like a minute so get up.
01:05:49 But yeah, athletes do what they have to do to get in there.
01:05:53 Confirmation, Michelle Goullas is not running with her red hat.
01:06:00 This is breaking news here.
01:06:02 For those of you new to the sports, Michelle Goullas, her lucky red hat is famous.
01:06:12 And we expect her to qualify with ease in all honesty for the final.
01:06:24 There we go there.
01:06:26 Goullas is the one they will all be chasing.
01:06:28 One minute away from the start of this semi-final A Laser Run.
01:06:36 The first Laser Run live here from Cairo on TV.
01:06:43 Of course, athletes have qualifications.
01:06:45 The first ever competition for these athletes was on Monday, Tuesday.
01:07:00 Their qualifications are on Tuesday, semi-finals are today and finals are on Saturday.
01:07:06 Ranking round was of course last night.
01:07:08 These athletes will be competing Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
01:07:11 Off on Friday.
01:07:13 Friday is the men's semi-final, Super Saturday, which is finals.
01:07:18 And of course it's mixed relay on Sunday so some of these athletes will be doubling up.
01:07:21 10 seconds away from the start of the race.
01:07:25 Goullas will lead us away with a 24 second head start.
01:07:31 Michelle Goullas leads us away on the formation lap.
01:07:36 And away she goes.
01:07:39 Goullas, Hungarian athlete, was in first place in the World Championships in Bath.
01:07:48 But had an issue with the horse and ended up not getting the results she wanted to there.
01:07:55 So she's keen to put that to the back of her mind.
01:07:57 Kate French away in second place.
01:08:00 It's great to see Kate French back, isn't it?
01:08:03 Yeah, I mean, she's definitely a veteran and an inspiration to the sport.
01:08:08 This is when things get a bit close to the muscle of the line.
01:08:12 Luca Azuzo is now following.
01:08:16 So one, two, three, four, five.
01:08:20 Anfield is out.
01:08:22 Correa is out in sixth.
01:08:24 Mariana Arceo in seventh.
01:08:27 Arceo is looking quick and pacy already.
01:08:31 Frezza is away.
01:08:32 And that is our top nine.
01:08:34 Here we go then.
01:08:35 This is where things get interesting.
01:08:37 Coleman, Brazel, Karbovnik, McKellie.
01:08:43 That Cascadia is also out.
01:08:48 Mingyu Zhang, Zilikins is away.
01:08:54 And we have just two athletes still waiting to get themselves out onto the course.
01:09:00 It's a painful wait, isn't it?
01:09:02 And here we go.
01:09:04 Ribeiro and Castaldi are away.
01:09:08 So all 18 athletes are on the track.
01:09:13 The gap between Goullas and French is 22 seconds.
01:09:19 It was 24.
01:09:20 So French has already chipped two seconds into that lead from French.
01:09:23 But as mentioned, we're not focusing too heavily on the battle for the top three.
01:09:29 Of course, that will be the focus on Saturday.
01:09:32 Arceo in fourth, Frezza in fifth.
01:09:38 Asadarskaya in sixth.
01:09:44 Coleman in seventh.
01:09:47 McKellie in ninth.
01:09:49 At the moment McKellie, by the way, what is going on there?
01:09:51 McKellie is already up to ninth place.
01:09:56 That's crazy from McKellie.
01:09:58 I'm wondering if that might be a mistake.
01:10:00 We'll keep an eye on that.
01:10:02 Goullas is already at the shooting range.
01:10:05 You can see her shooting in the bottom right corner.
01:10:09 It's looking absolutely phenomenal.
01:10:11 Michelle Goullas with a very calm and collective five out of five.
01:10:16 9.50, first shoot job done.
01:10:19 Kate French now.
01:10:20 Let's see how Kate French's shoot's been.
01:10:22 It's been a while since she's shot in competition conditions.
01:10:25 Two out of five.
01:10:27 Kate French has lost no skill, actually, whatsoever.
01:10:30 Look at this.
01:10:32 Five, four, Kate French.
01:10:47 Let's keep an eye on this bunch of athletes all at the shooting range.
01:10:52 Adlon Matsui is away, Kim's away.
01:10:57 Azukso is away.
01:10:59 Arseo is away.
01:11:03 Aztec Skate is away, Frese is away.
01:11:09 And with a slow shoot.
01:11:13 Gabovnik with less than nine seconds.
01:11:15 McKellie with an 11-second shoot.
01:11:16 McKellie, I feel, brings herself back into things here.
01:11:22 So we will get an idea on the timings in a moment.
01:11:31 It is Amira Andil who's in ninth place at the moment being chased down by Amanda.
01:11:38 Amira Andil, though, is dropping.
01:11:40 She was in fifth place and she's slipping down the order.
01:11:43 That could be the athlete that they were all chasing.
01:11:45 There you can see Arseo, she's got some pace there.
01:11:47 Goullesh first, French second, Kim third.
01:11:50 Abdulmukh sued fourth.
01:11:51 We're not too worried about these athletes.
01:11:53 Azukso fifth, Arseo sixth.
01:11:55 Time of 4.20 for Arseo.
01:11:58 Five seconds further back is Assa Skatey who has moved her way up the order.
01:12:02 Freser is in eighth place.
01:12:04 Now you can see Andil, 4.30.
01:12:07 Who is going to threaten Andil then in that top nine?
01:12:10 Because I feel Andil dropped out at this point.
01:12:12 Gubovnik eight seconds further back.
01:12:14 McKellie eight seconds further back.
01:12:15 Venkow, Skatey nine seconds further back.
01:12:17 You feel one of those three will drop out as Goullesh makes her way to the shooting range,
01:12:23 starting her third lap, starting her second shooting routine.
01:12:26 It's Goullesh in first.
01:12:28 Kate French, by the way, has closed that gap down by ten seconds.
01:12:31 Not that that's hugely important today, but I wonder if that could be something we see
01:12:35 being a factor later on in the competition.
01:12:39 Lap three of five.
01:12:42 Look at that, ninth place is held by Mirandil, but two other athletes are chasing her down.
01:12:47 Venkow, Skatey and Freser.
01:12:51 So Goullesh is away safely from the shooting range.
01:12:54 French, I don't think French and Goullesh have dropped a shot between them yet.
01:12:58 Those two are in ominously good form.
01:13:00 This is really proving to be a good sign for their year to come.
01:13:05 French is looking quick on the track as well, by the way.
01:13:09 So who is going to make their way out in third place?
01:13:12 That's a lightning fast shoot.
01:13:14 Abdul Maksoud, less than seven seconds.
01:13:16 That's ridiculously fast.
01:13:18 And Abdul Maksoud moves up into third place in brilliant form here in Cairo, as we expected.
01:13:23 Kim in fourth, Azouksour holding on nicely to fifth place.
01:13:27 Good shooting from her.
01:13:29 Asseo's got good shooting as well.
01:13:31 And I think Elena Micheli might be about to make a move here.
01:13:35 Micheli with a sub, no sorry, it was Goprovnik.
01:13:39 Micheli's a bit slow in the range actually.
01:13:41 Micheli is struggling here.
01:13:42 This could be Micheli's aspirations for getting to the final in jeopardy here.
01:13:48 Yeah, Venkow, Skatey has moved up into ninth and Amira Anzil has dropped back to tenth.
01:13:53 We'll get a confirmation of those top ten positions in a moment.
01:13:57 But it is Goullesh leading just four seconds ahead of French now.
01:14:00 French is looking quick on the track.
01:14:02 I don't think Goullesh is giving it too much speed out top.
01:14:05 She's probably conserving energy because she knows she'll make it through to the final
01:14:08 with this brilliant form that she's in.
01:14:11 Still two shoots to go, by the way.
01:14:13 Kim in fourth place, Azouksour in fifth, Asseo in sixth.
01:14:20 And look at that gap then between sixth and seventh.
01:14:23 Asadar Skatey six seconds further back in seventh place.
01:14:26 Venkow Skatey has moved up into eighth place.
01:14:28 Frezer's in ninth, and you'll see in a moment Andal has dropped out that top ten.
01:14:33 So Frezer currently holds on to ninth place.
01:14:35 Andal's in tenth place.
01:14:37 Kropovnik is in eleventh.
01:14:39 And where is Elena Micheli?
01:14:42 She's way further back. Mingyu Zhang and Micheli.
01:14:45 Well, Micheli has a lot of work to do here if she is to make up that time on ninth.
01:14:53 Yeah, this is getting nerve-wracking for Micheli.
01:14:55 She started out pretty well, but then the shooting failed her there in that last shoot.
01:14:59 So she's going to have to really hone down on her shooting skills
01:15:03 and try to make it through to that final.
01:15:11 So the athletes at the range now.
01:15:14 French and Goullas having a shoot-off here.
01:15:17 We can't see their times at the moment.
01:15:19 There we go. Goullas nine seconds, French nine.
01:15:22 Those two are just having fun out there.
01:15:24 Not even trying at this point.
01:15:26 But here are the chasing attack in range.
01:15:29 So keep an eye. I think the quick times we almost need to disclude here.
01:15:32 We're looking for the slower times. Who is going to struggle at the range?
01:15:35 Amazing Abdul Maksoud.
01:15:37 Kim's out in a great time as well.
01:15:39 Zooksil struggling. Zooksil with a 14-second shoot. That's okay.
01:15:44 Arseo struggling here.
01:15:46 Marianne Arseo's in trouble.
01:15:48 She's away with 20-second shoots.
01:15:51 Van Karskate and Freser at the range.
01:15:54 Van Karskate with an 18-second shoot.
01:15:56 So that gives an opportunity then for Zhang, for Michele.
01:16:00 Michele needs a lightning fast shoot here.
01:16:02 Keep your eyes on Elena Michele.
01:16:04 This is going much better for Michele.
01:16:06 Sub-10 seconds is what she needs.
01:16:09 Struggling with this fifth shot.
01:16:11 Kropovnik with a good shoot. Michele with a 13.
01:16:13 I don't think that's enough.
01:16:15 She's going to have to do the work on the track.
01:16:17 Michele with work to do here.
01:16:20 Freser in that magic nine position.
01:16:23 She's being chased down of course by her teammates.
01:16:26 She's now out of the range of Elena Michele.
01:16:28 It doesn't look like she's going to make it at this point.
01:16:31 K.Friends taking the race lead, but that's not really significant.
01:16:34 Those two are just pacing each other.
01:16:37 Let's have a look further down though.
01:16:38 Zooksil fifth.
01:16:40 Let's wait until we see who's in ninth place.
01:16:43 We think it's Freser.
01:16:44 Arseo and Arsekate are still inside that top nine.
01:16:48 Those two will be in the final last-in-stand.
01:16:50 Is Venkalskate in eighth?
01:16:53 And are we going to see Freser's name flash up next?
01:16:56 There's a bit of a gap between eighth and ninth.
01:16:58 There we can see Freser. 9.24 for Freser.
01:17:04 So 9.22 for Freser in ninth place.
01:17:07 Andal in tenth place.
01:17:08 She's eight seconds further back.
01:17:11 There's a bit of a gap here, isn't there, emerging?
01:17:13 And there you can see it all flashes by so quickly.
01:17:15 It's difficult to make it out.
01:17:17 And McKellie has to make up 15 seconds on this final lap.
01:17:20 I don't think that's possible.
01:17:21 I think we're going to lose our two-times world champion from this competition.
01:17:24 That's significant.
01:17:25 Yeah, that's difficult and rough.
01:17:27 But again, we still have one more shoot to go.
01:17:30 Things could go in her favor, but it's highly unlikely.
01:17:36 On the line, Goullache on target number one.
01:17:38 So one and two have made their way into range.
01:17:41 Goullache and Cate French.
01:17:45 Both these athletes are people to watch.
01:17:48 The experience does really show in their shooting.
01:17:50 I mean, sub-10 seconds in all of their shoots is a sight to see for sure.
01:17:58 Michal Goullache is out.
01:17:59 Cate French is struggling there in that last shoot, but it's okay.
01:18:02 She is still off to that final.
01:18:05 Kim is out in third.
01:18:09 This is where places in the final are won and lost.
01:18:13 Marseille has made a bit of a slow turn.
01:18:15 Samaritan-Montsou by the way having a super quick shoot prior to that.
01:18:20 Has struggled a little bit here.
01:18:22 Fresna is still at the range, by the way.
01:18:24 So this is the athlete they're all trying to catch.
01:18:27 Will Fresna succumb to pressure here?
01:18:29 She's struggling to get a foreshot.
01:18:30 Fresna is struggling a bit here.
01:18:31 This gives a chance now for Michal to come back at her teammate.
01:18:35 Michal is shooting well here.
01:18:37 Fresna is away.
01:18:38 Michal will need to get this done a lot quicker.
01:18:41 She's away.
01:18:43 So I feel this could be between Fresna and Michal.
01:18:46 There is Fresna.
01:18:47 She looks over her shoulder and sees her teammate closing in.
01:18:51 Has Michal got the pace?
01:18:52 I know by the way that Michal has been nursing a bit of an injury at this event.
01:18:55 It's worth mentioning.
01:18:56 She mentioned she's got a bit of a problem with one of her feet.
01:18:59 So, yeah, so that could be a factor in her dropping out at the semifinal stage.
01:19:04 Is she going to have the pace to catch her teammate Fresna on this final lap?
01:19:08 I'm not sure she's going to.
01:19:12 Fresna is in ninth place.
01:19:13 That is confirmed.
01:19:14 And I think she's going to be in that final spot.
01:19:17 French and Goullash coasting home.
01:19:20 Yeah, comfortably into that Saturday final.
01:19:23 But it's all about that battle for ninth place.
01:19:25 We really need to see how far Fresna is ahead of Michal.
01:19:31 You can see that pack forming.
01:19:32 These are the athletes making it to Saturday's final.
01:19:35 Rebecca Castaldi at the back of your shot there.
01:19:38 I don't think that gap is going to be made up by Michal.
01:19:40 In fact, Michal is being caught by Rebecca Castaldi who's had a fantastic laser run.
01:19:44 In fact, Rebecca Castaldi is on a charge here.
01:19:46 She's not going to make it into the final, but it's been a really, really good laser run by Castaldi.
01:19:50 Obviously, you're not seeing those shots.
01:19:51 You're just seeing the front pack coasting home.
01:19:54 But it's the battle further back that we really do need to see.
01:19:58 So these are the athletes all safely through.
01:20:00 But the drama is happening further back.
01:20:04 And there you can see Fresna.
01:20:05 And look at that.
01:20:06 Rebecca Castaldi is trying her absolute best to catch the Italian.
01:20:11 But I think she's going to fall just short.
01:20:14 There you can see the athletes all qualified and safely through.
01:20:17 Castaldi, frustratingly from her point of view, is just going to miss out on qualification here.
01:20:23 She's had a superb laser run.
01:20:25 And let's look forward to seeing more from Castaldi later on in the season.
01:20:31 She comes home in tenth place.
01:20:32 Elena Micheli, by the way, has missed out on qualification for the final.
01:20:37 We're used to interviewing her on the winner's podium.
01:20:39 She won't even be in the final here in Cairo.
01:20:42 But she is nursing an injury, and it's still been a good competition from her.
01:20:45 She's still got that Olympic qualification secured.
01:20:50 And Micheli drops out of the competition.
01:20:53 That, I would feel, is the headline from semi-final A.
01:20:55 What do you say?
01:20:56 Yeah, it is unfortunate.
01:20:58 We've seen her on the podium consistently throughout the season.
01:21:02 But again, this is what happens with modern pentathlon.
01:21:06 It's one day up, one day down.
01:21:07 And today was not her day.
01:21:09 And again, she is nursing an injury.
01:21:11 So we'll be seeing more from her for sure throughout the season.
01:21:15 Maybe just not this competition.
01:21:18 But the athletes making it from the semi-final A to the finals
01:21:25 will be Michele Gouillache, Kate French, Salma Abdel Motsoud, Ilko Ouzoogsel,
01:21:30 Eunju Kim, Mariana Arceo, Alessandra Frese, Laura Asset Asgaiti,
01:21:36 and Gintar Venk Asgaiti.
01:21:40 So Michele Gouillache looks very happy in her lucky purple hat.
01:21:47 I wonder if that will be the permanent replacement.
01:21:50 Yeah, we'll see.
01:21:53 There will, of course, be no podium because this is just the semi-finals.
01:21:59 We have one more semi-final to bring you live coverage of later on this afternoon.
01:22:08 So tune in for that for our second nine athletes moving to Saturday's finals.
01:22:16 Just checking out the replays then.
01:22:18 Gouillache and French were in a league of their own there.
01:22:21 Those two will be looking good for the final.
01:22:27 Gouillache at the range shot very well, as did French.
01:22:32 Perhaps when there's not much pressure, which neither of those two seem to have.
01:22:37 French at the range.
01:22:41 She looked in good form as well.
01:22:48 And this was the chasing pack.
01:22:51 Rebecca Castaldi was a really impressive athlete, wasn't she?
01:22:55 I was really impressed by her form.
01:22:58 And there you can see the athletes just making their way over the finish line
01:23:06 for the back end of the race.
01:23:09 And they'll drop back. She will not be in the final in front of her home crowd.
01:23:15 And Gouillache and French did have that battle.
01:23:21 French might have crossed the line in first place in the end,
01:23:29 but it really didn't make too much of a difference.
01:23:32 And there you can see the athletes making their way over the line.
01:23:42 And there we go. Semi-final A done and dusted.
01:23:45 We will of course have semi-final B to bring you coverage of shortly.
01:23:49 Just waiting for the results then before we conclude this broadcast.
01:23:55 So in the end it was the battle of the Italians.
01:24:05 The Italians were split by the French.
01:24:09 The Italians were split by Rebecca Castaldi.
01:24:13 Started in 17th place, made up 30 seconds, youth champion.
01:24:18 And she is going to be one to keep an eye on
01:24:22 later on in this, of course, competition and indeed this season.
01:24:33 And we do have her two teammates coming up in the next semi-final, Elodie Clouvel and Maria Oteyza.
01:24:40 So some more action from the French in the afternoon.
01:24:47 But there is Elena McKellie.
01:24:50 She's looking despondent and disappointed, but she'll be fine.
01:24:56 She'll bounce back. She knew it was going to be difficult, this event for her.
01:25:02 The athlete is warming down now.
01:25:07 Yeah, Michelle Gouliash along with her teammate Soralta Simon.
01:25:17 So again, just the athletes warming down now.
01:25:45 We might have an interview with Elena McKellie.
01:25:49 James is going out to the field trying to get in some words from her.
01:25:53 She's definitely disappointed to not make it to the first final of the season.
01:25:57 But again, she is already qualified.
01:26:01 She won the World Cup final last year in Ankara and still has plenty of shots for medals this season prior to the Olympics.
01:26:12 But it's always tough to not make it through.
01:26:17 Especially from someone as accomplished as Elena McKellie, the two-time world champion.
01:26:22 High spirits here in the field.
01:26:34 It's a good day for a modern pentathlon.
01:26:36 And again, just one of two semifinals we have today.
01:26:40 Semifinal B will be broadcasted shortly.
01:26:44 We already have nine athletes who have made it through.
01:26:50 I can call out the names for that.
01:26:53 If you were just joining us now.
01:26:56 Michelle Gouliash made it through.
01:26:58 [Reading names]
01:27:10 These are the nine athletes making it through the semifinal A.
01:27:24 There is of course up on your screen their riding course which will not be in play today.
01:27:29 But we'll see more of on Saturday and Sunday.
01:27:33 Saturday for the finals and Sunday for the mixed relays.
01:27:51 The men are currently making their way to their fencing ranking round.
01:27:56 They have their semifinals of course tomorrow.
01:27:59 But the real stars of the show today are the women of course.
01:28:07 With their semifinals being held today.
01:28:09 Looks like the riding test will be done in a few hours.
01:28:16 So we see some horses out on the field.
01:28:19 Again these are not going to be out on the field today.
01:28:24 They're just for the jumping test.
01:28:26 And then we'll see them all on Saturday and Sunday as I've said before.
01:28:30 It's getting a little bit chilly here in Cairo.
01:28:43 Clouds are out in the sky and no more sun.
01:28:49 But again pretty good conditions for Pentathlon.
01:28:56 So if you are just tuning in please stay on our live feed.
01:29:01 Because we will be bringing word from Elena McKellie shortly.
01:29:04 Who has missed out on finals.
01:29:09 So unfortunately we can't bring you results of the race.
01:29:17 But we will have to throw onto images of the day.
01:29:21 And we will have that up on our app.
01:29:24 So you can check that out.
01:29:25 But it's bye for now.
01:29:27 Bye for now.
01:29:29 [MUSIC]
01:29:33 [MUSIC]
01:29:37 [MUSIC]
01:29:40 [MUSIC]
01:29:52 [MUSIC]
01:29:55 [MUSIC]
01:30:05 [MUSIC]
01:30:15 [MUSIC]
01:30:18 [MUSIC]
01:30:28 [MUSIC]
01:30:39 [MUSIC]
01:30:42 [MUSIC]
01:30:51 [MUSIC]
01:31:01 [MUSIC]
01:31:04 [MUSIC]
01:31:10 [MUSIC]
01:31:18 [MUSIC]
01:31:21 [MUSIC]
01:31:25 [MUSIC]
01:31:28 [MUSIC]
01:31:34 [MUSIC]
01:31:40 [MUSIC]
01:31:53 [MUSIC]
01:31:56 [MUSIC]
01:32:03 [MUSIC]
01:32:11 [MUSIC]
01:32:20 [MUSIC]
01:32:23 [MUSIC]
01:32:32 [MUSIC]
01:32:40 [MUSIC]
01:32:49 [MUSIC]
01:32:52 [MUSIC]
01:33:01 [MUSIC]
01:33:09 [MUSIC]
01:33:17 [MUSIC]
01:33:20 [MUSIC]
01:33:27 [MUSIC]
Comments