Huge Team GB gold medal hope pulls out of Olympics 2024 event just minutes before start and left ‘devastated’

TEAM GB's reigning modern pentathlon Olympic champion Kate French has been forced to pull out of the event at the last moment.

The 33-year-old is the reigning Olympic champ and was hoping to defend the crown she won in Tokyo but she dropped out minutes before the 10am start time due to illness.

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French was ranked fifth after Saturday's semi-finals, and would have been among the favourites for a medal on the final day of Paris 2024.

Team-mate Kerenza Bryson, who set an Olympic record in winning her semi-final, remains a contender for the gold medal on Sunday.

The 25-year-old, who is a qualified doctor and army reservist, is the reigning European champion and world bronze medallist.

Team GB sources have told SunSport that French is “devastated” at having to withdraw as she was desperate to try to retain her crown.

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She had a horrible night and woke up feeling even worse and unable to give the performance she knew was required to get on the podium.

French has been replaced in the final by reserve athlete Annika Zillekens of Germany.

The BBC's Rishi Persad said: "Needless to say Kate is absolutely distraught and gutted.

"They said that's purely an illness. It's not Covid. Definitely not Covid. She tried to leave it as late as possible to continue.

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"It's disappointing news. She did not come through the mix zone after the semi-final."

Team GB have already suffered disappointment in the event in Paris after Joe Choong, who won gold in the men's modern pentathlon in Tokyo 2020, finished ninth.

Heather Bell, who won silver in the same event at Beijing, told the BBC: "Devastating and that is heart-breaking for Kate French.

"The Olympics is a rollercoaster. She had an incredible comeback in her fencing and she was in a position to defend her title."

Modern Pentathlon comprises the five disciplines of fencing, swimming, show jumping, shooting and running.

The latter two are combined in a laser run the final event of the competition.

After winning gold three years ago with a then Olympic record of 1,385 points, French took a break from the sport in 2023 and only returned to training last August.

Olympic medals for Great Britain in the women's event go all the way back to its inception at Sydney in 2000.

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What is the format of the modern pentathlon?

After the fencing ranking round, the brand new 90-minute action-packed format will make its Olympic debut for the semi-finals and finals in Paris:

• 35 minutes of equestrian (jumping)
• Break (5 minutes)
• 20 minutes of fencing (epee) - bonus round
• Break (10 minutes)
• 15 minutes of swimming (200m freestyle)
• Break (15 minutes)
• 20 minutes combined event (laser run)

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