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Genevieve’s great pentathlon performance

 

Genevieve’s great pentathlon performance

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AOC
Genevieve Janse van Rensburg in the laser run during the Paris 2024 semi-final.

Genevieve Janse van Rensburg has delivered an impressive performance on Olympic debut in the Women’s Modern Pentathlon semi-finals.

Against the breathtaking backdrop of the Château de Versailles, and following yesterday's fencing ranking round, the 20-year-old handled the Olympic pressure with great maturity.

The French crowd was out in force on the full day of competition, cheering on competitors from the sold-out stands. It was an experience Genevieve says she will never forget.

 “I was trying to enjoy the moment. It’s unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced, especially in pentathlon, which is a small sport,” Genevieve said.

“When we do World Cups and World Championships, usually the audience is just family members or coaches. I've never seen a crowd like that for Pentathlon. It's wild. So cool.”

In the riding phase, marking the final time this discipline will be featured in modern pentathlon at the Olympics, Genevieve rode well with some unfortunate rails and time penalties. 

Genevieve then bounced back and showcased her fencing prowess, earning four points by landing two hits in the bonus round.

In the 200m freestyle swim, she won her heat and had the third-fastest time in the semi-final with a time of 2:11.61.

Chasing a top-9 position in the semi to progress to Sunday’s final, she started the final event, the laser run, in eighth position with plenty of experienced challengers not far behind.

Genevieve demonstrated her stamina and precision with an improved laser run performance. Ultimately she dropped down the rankings to finish 13th in her semi and just outside the qualifying spots for the final.

Kirsty Pascoe

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