Fourteen months from the London Olympic Games Australian modern pentathletes have secured the two Oceania quota places on offer. 

Competing at the Asian/Oceanian Championships in China, Chloe Esposito from Camden in Sydney’s west had an outstanding competition to place eighth overall and be the first Oceania athlete.  

Edward Fernon also of Sydney claimed the men’s quota spot in sensational circumstances when he placed 13^th and first from Oceania.  

For Esposito it was the perfect end to a six week international tour where she won in Spiez Switzerland then competed in two World Cups finishing 23rd in Italy and then 11th in Budapest.

"I’m so happy I have achieved my goal of qualifying for London 2012, I can’t wipe the smile off my face!” Esposito said after the event. 

“It has been a very hard journey to achieve this goal, but very very rewarding at the same time. But not only has it been hard for me but for my family and coaches as well, supporting me and funding me the whole way leading up to this competition, I would never have been able to do it without them." 

Her father Daniel who competed in pentathlon at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles is also her coach. Her younger sister Emily represented Australia in shooting at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last year. 

Fernon was trailing his fellow Australian Liu Yang by a seemingly insurmountable margin going into the final Combined run-shoot event however Liu was disqualified for breaking shooting rules and earning no points for the crucial leg. 

Liu, 29 and born in Beijing, had had a magnificent competition before the final event. Courtesy of his 21 wins in fencing he was 272 points ahead of the three other Australians before disaster struck. 

This meant Ed Fernon, from Sydney, was the highest ranked athlete from Oceania. Scott Petersen placed 16^th, Luke Salter 23^rd and Liu back in 27^th. 

Each National Olympic Committee can qualify a maximum of two men and two women for the Games. Australian athletes will need to either medal at the 2012 World Championships or rely on their world ranking when the final quota places are allocated in June 2012 to make up the 36 men and 36 women fields. 

AOC with Modern Pentathlon Australia