British male Modern Pentathletes selected for Beijing Olympic Games
Modern Pentathletes Sam Weale and Nick Woodbridge have been selected to compete in the men’s event for the 2008 Olympic Games
The pair join Heather Fell and Katy Livingston in Team GBR, meaning Great Britain will have the maximum complement of four pentathletes at the Olympics.
Nick — who came up through the Pony Club — and Sam already have several medals between them for junior events and are hoping to add to this tally in Beijing.
Sam said: “It’s every young athlete’s dream to compete at an Olympic Games.
“The nature of the sport is that it’s open and anything can happen. There are three medals up for grab and probably any one of 30 men could have a chance of winning one. I consider I’m one of those athletes.”
Nick added: “I’m excited to be selected, not just after a year of intense qualification competitions, but also a lifetime of training and dedication. I’m now set for two months of the hardest training of my career and who knows what can happen under the Olympic pressure.
“I saw Beijing as an experience for London, but now I have my eyes on a podium finish. There is nothing more special to me than the Olympic Games and having the chance to compete is a lifetime ambition.”
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By competing in Beijing the pair will become the first British male modern pentathletes to compete at an Olympic Games since Richard Phelps in Atlanta in 1996.
Dominic Mahony, Team GBR Modern Pentathlon Team Leader for the Beijing 2008 Olympics said: “Sam and Nick are both talented young athletes. They have worked hard to qualify for Beijing and both thoroughly deserve their places on the team.
“We go there with the intention of seriously challenging for medals.”
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