UIPM 2021 Youth World Championships (U19 and U17): Brilliant Kandil crowned world champion on home soil

• Tokyo Olympian Amira Kandil (EGY) wins gold in U19 Women’s final 
• Silver for Soloveva (RUS) and bronze for Malashenoka (BLR)
• Russia clinch first gold of championships with U17 Men’s Relay glory

Amira Kandil confirmed her status as one to watch for the Olympic Games in Paris in three years’ time as she scorched to gold for Egypt in the U19 Women’s final at the UIPM 2021 Youth World Championships (U19 and U17). 

The 18-year-old, who achieved one lifetime dream by competing in her first Olympics in Tokyo this summer, struck another off her list as she was crowned World Champion on home soil in Alexandria. 

It was Kandil’s consistency across all four disciplines on Saturday that saw her squeeze past Yana Soloveva of Russia to the top of the podium. There was another medal for Belarus as Anastasiya Malashenoka, gold medalist in the U19 Mixed Relay, took individual bronze.

The pulsating finish to the U19 Women’s final came just over an hour after a much more clear-cut climax to the U17 Men’s Relay. Russia’s impressive array of male talent at Youth level came good when Egor Zorkin and Maksim Malyshev took top spot with a dominant Laser Run, claiming the first Russian gold of the Championships.

Lithuania toasted a second medal of the week at the Arab Academy for Science Technology & Maritime Transport as Nojus Chmieliauskas and Lukas Gaudiesius took silver ahead of yet more hardware for the host nation, with Osama Zaki and Mohamed Mohamed taking bronze for Egypt.

After six days and nights of pulsating action that gave us a great glimpse into the future of Modern Pentathlon, the UIPM 2021 Youth World Championships (U19 and U17) wrap up Sunday. But there will be action right to the final moments with both the U17 Mixed Relay and the U19 Men’s Final on the line on Sunday in Alexandria. 

Kandil’s gold was Egypt’s third of the week, putting the hosts level with Belarus who have also claimed three. The fight for medal table supremacy is likely to go all the way to Sunday’s last strides.

 

U19 Women’s Final

Thirty six of the most promising women’s competitors from across the world had qualified for Saturday’s final — representing 16 nations and five continents. But it was European entrants who got off to the fastest start as Malashenoka (BLR) raced to the fastest time in the Swimming round, clocking in at 2:10.22, two seconds clear of Kim Spletzer of Germany with Ebrar Calikan third-fastest in 2:12.98 for Turkey.

But as would prove the case throughout the final, Kandil (EGY) kept glory closely within her sights as she finished fourth-fastest in the pool and then went two better as action moved to the piste. 

While Soloveva (RUS) would record 29 victories in the Fencing round, Kandil (EGY) was just three behind with 26 and picked top more ground in the Bonus Round. Germany’s Anna Waltermann finished third on the piste.

Egyptian competitors have turned in some spectacular performances in the Laser Run this week but Kandil (EGY) knew that keeping things steady could well be enough for her and so it proved.  Kandil’s consistent shooting and running saw her record the fifth-fastest time of the Laser Run in 12:49.30, enough to see her clinch gold ahead of Soloveva (RUS) by the narrowest of margins. 

Cazaly Louison of France was fastest of all with a truly blistering time of 12:27.40 with Lucie Hlavackova of the Czech Republic next fastest in 12:39.60. Louison’s (FRA) late burst was almost enough to elevate her to the podium but on a terrific week for Belarus, Malashenoka hung on for bronze. 

Click here to see the full U19 results. 

 

U17 Men’s Relay

Russia’s impressive pipeline of men’s talent was on show recently at the UIPM Youth European Championships in Portugal when they took a clean sweep of the podium. Their athletes carried that form into the pool in Alexandria as Russia’s two teams swam fastest and third-fastest in the Swimming round. 

It was the duo of Timofei Popov and Artyom Belchik (RUS) who were best by a distance, clocking 1:48.77, three seconds ahead of Turkey, represented by Munir Can Mert and Jan Demir Vurdum. The second Russian team of Zorkin and Malyshev were in close pursuit in a time of 1:52.69.

But while Popov and Belchik (RUS) were the first to set off in the Laser Run, it was their compatriots who would quickly take command of proceedings. In truth, Zorkin and Malyshev — who had finished first and third respectively in the European Championships — were unstoppable. They blazed a trail through the field in a time of 10:31.50, 13 seconds clear of Lithuania (Chmieliauskas/Gaudiesius) with Mexico particularly impressive in third place thanks to Angel Charbel Martinez and Jorge Hernandez’s time of 10:55.40. While no other country went under the 11-minute mark, a late burst from Egypt (Zaki/Mohamed) was enough to claim bronze just ahead of the France pairing of Florent Schoen and Etienne Clergeau.

Click here to see the full U17 results. 

 

Winners’ reaction

New U19 Women’s world champion Amira Kandil (EGY) said: “So happy today because I’m so proud of this result. I’m happy because this is a dream come true — world champion. I want to say thank to all the people who have supported me for this championship and a big thank you to my coach and family. So proud because I’m so young. It’s a dream to go to this Olympics but now I want to go to Paris 2024. 

U17 Men’s Relay gold medalist Egor Zorkin (RUS) said: “It’s been a good competition for me. It’s my first year in World Championships. I have a great competition and my friend had a good start, he ran [well] and gave me a good relay that helped us win the competition.”

 

UIPM reaction

EMPF President Sherif El Erian (EGY) said: “We feel very happy at the Egyptian Modern Pentathlon Federation about how the competition went until now. One more day to go and everything is going perfectly. The atmosphere is so great. The youth are full of energy, full of happiness. There are no complaints, the venue is great. The temperature is great here in Alexandria. Lots of nations winning and on the podium over the last four days. Our Egyptian team is doing very well. We are very happy with them. If the next days go as the last few days have we will be very happy.”

 

Watch and follow

The UIPM 2021 Youth World Championships (U19 and U17) in Alexandria (EGY) runs from September 13 to September 19.

Visit the UIPM website or download “UIPM Central” from your app store to keep track of live results throughout the UIPM 2021 Youth World Championships (U19 and U17).

Follow World Pentathlon on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, VK or Weibo throughout the season for additional content.

 

Competition schedule

UIPM 2021 Youth World Championships (U19 and U17)

September 19: U17 Mixed Relay; U19 Men’s Final