The 2025 Modern Pentathlon World Championships concluded in Kaunas with a triumphant performance from the GB women’s team, who secured a superb silver medal in the team event. Their success capped off a week of high-level competition and showcased the depth of talent within Pentathlon GB.
Hulme Leads the Charge
In the men’s competition, James Hulme led the charge with a standout performance, finishing fourth in the final after a gruelling 90 minutes of fencing, obstacle course racing (OCR), swimming, and laser run. Hulme’s journey to the final was marked by consistency and excellence, placing sixth overall in Qualification Group A with a second-place fencing rank, and then securing second place in Semi-final Group B thanks to the sixth-best fencing performance and third-best OCR time. In the final, Hulme delivered the fifth-best scores in both fencing and OCR, setting himself up for a strong laser run that saw him cross the line just shy of the podium.
Ross Charlton also demonstrated determination, finishing 17th in Qualification Group A. His performance included the seventh-best fencing score and the second-fastest laser run, gaining valuable experience on the world stage.
Green Spearheads Team Silver Medal Glory
The women’s team — Olivia Green, Charlie Follett, and Emma Whitaker — combined their efforts to claim team silver, each delivering strong individual performances. Olivia Green was a standout, finishing eighth in Qualification Group B with the sixth-best fencing and seventh-fastest swim. She qualified from Semi-final Group B with top-ten rankings across fencing, swimming, and laser run, and in the final, she excelled in fencing direct elimination (DE), winning the final bout to top the fencing leaderboard. Green backed up her performance with top-ten swim and laser run times, finishing sixth overall with top-15 rankings in all four events.
Charlie Follett showed grit and consistency, placing 18th in Qualification Group A with the eighth-best fencing score and a strong laser run to advance. She secured eighth place in Semi-final Group A, thanks to the third-best fencing performance and seventh-fastest laser run. In the final, Follett impressed with a second-place finish in fencing DE and top-15 rankings in OCR and swimming, ultimately placing 14th.
Emma Whitaker rounded out the team’s medal-winning effort with a solid all-around performance. She placed eighth in Qualification Group A with top-eight scores in fencing, OCR, and swimming. In the semi-final, she finished ninth overall, delivering the second-best fencing score, third-best swim, and fourth-best laser run. Whitaker maintained her form in the final, achieving top-ten rankings in swimming and laser run to finish 16th.
Natalie Hatfield also competed with resilience, finishing 24th in Qualification Group B. Her performance included the 14th-best swim and fourth-best laser run, gaining crucial experience at a major championship.
A Championship to Remember
The GB Team’s performances in Kaunas highlighted the strength and promise of British athletes in modern pentathlon. With Green, Follett, and Whitaker combining for a team silver, and Hulme narrowly missing out on a podium finish in the men’s final, the future looks bright for Pentathlon GB on the world stage.
