A View from the Village
In a little over 12 months the eyes of the world will be on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the thirty-first Summer Olympics. Hundreds of millions of people from nations around the world will cheer on their athletes while keeping an eye on the medal boards.
In the modern era, the Olympic Games are a huge global phenomenon. The UK was fortunate to host the Games in London in 2012, and those people who were able to attend will attest to what a spectacular and special event it was. But for many, attending the Games will be something they can only dream of doing.
However, the people of Bath and the surrounding area will have a chance to sample the excitement when the Modern Pentathlon European Championships 2015 arrive in the city exactly a year ahead of Rio ‘16. This event is key in the run up to Rio and will feature more than 100 of the finest athletes from across the continent pushing for glory and Olympic qualification in five thrilling and fascinating sporting disciplines – swimming, fencing, riding, running and shooting.
The modern pentathlon was introduced at the Stockholm Games in 1912. It was believed pentathlon would “test a man’s moral qualities as much as his physical resources and skills, producing thereby a complete athlete”. The mix of disciplines makes for a highly entertaining and thrilling spectacle and Pentathlon GB has high hopes of success for our home grown team of twelve male and female athletes who have been training extremely hard in preparation for the Championships.
The Modern Pentathlon European Championships 2015 will take place at the team’s base and training centre at University of Bath, Claverton Down, and during the competition the city will see an extra influx of international visitors who have come to support their athletes and enjoy all that Bath has to offer. There will certainly be a heightened sense of excitement around the city. I am certain one of the legacies of the Championships will be a further heightened profile for this wonderful and sport loving city, with our international visitors leaving with nothing but strong recommendation and a positive impression of Bath.
As well as the main competition events there will be opportunities to try out some of the individual sports during breaks in the action, plus an event village of stands and displays to add to the big event experience. So this will be more than simply a chance to watch the sports, and we are hoping that the event will help to inspire the next generation of pentathletes.
Tickets for the Championships are available now, and are very competitively priced to ensure anyone can attend. We are hoping to see a strong support for the Pentathlon GB team.
Nigel Laughton, CEO of Pentathlon GB
For more information visit www.pentathlongb.org/euros2015