A 14-year-old girl from Basingstoke represented Great Britain in world championships in modern pentathlon and came back with flying colours.
Lily-Mae Lancaster Evans, a talented student from Sherfield School, took part in the UIPM (Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne) event held in Egypt.
The historic event marked the first global U17 modern pentathlon competition to include OCR (obstacle course racing) as part of the five-core events, replacing traditional horse riding.
This innovative format will be adopted at all levels of modern pentathlon following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
READ MORE: Sherfield girl Lily-Mae Lancaster Evans is triathle champion
Lily-Mae, one of six members of the GB Team, showcased her exceptional skills and determination in the gruelling competition, which features swimming, laser run, fencing, and OCR.
Despite being one of the youngest competitors, she demonstrated her mettle by making it to the final at the event in Alexandria.
In the qualifying round, Lily-Mae secured a respectable sixth seeding, setting the stage for her outstanding performance in the final where she finished 18th overall, a remarkable achievement.
Moreover, she teamed up with her GB partner to secure a commendable fifth place in the relay event.
During the final, Lily-Mae showcased her sharpshooting abilities with the third-quickest shoot time of 6.96s. She also excelled in the bonus fencing round, earning the highest points, and displayed her prowess in the Laser Run element, finishing sixth overall.
Lily-Mae's accomplishments did not come as a surprise, as she has been competing in modern pentathlon since the age of eight.
SEE ALSO: Basingstoke man killed in crash involving Jaguar on A339
She regularly trains with Basingstoke and Mid Hants Athletic Club, Basingstoke Bluefins, Reading Fencing Club, and Leweston Pentathlon Academy.
Last month, Lily-Mae made her mark at the European Championships in Germany, where she secured a silver medal in the triathle event, which combines laser shooting and swimming, as well as a bronze medal in biathle, a challenging run/swim competition.
Both achievements were in the U17 category.
Delighted about her recent accomplishments, Lily-Mae expressed her gratitude to her coaches and supporters.
She said: "It’s been a busy couple of months, but all the hard work and training has paid off. I was so pleased to be selected for the world championships, and my goal was to make it to the final, which I did.
"My coaches have all supported me, and I am now looking forward to the world laser run championships that are being held in Bath next month."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here