UIPM 2021 Youth World Championships (U19 and U17): Golden joy for Russia and Hungary as curtain comes down in Alexandria

• Manuilo (RUS) crowned U19 Men’s world champion 
• Tamas and Bauer (HUN) team up to take U17 Mixed Relay gold
• First medals of championships for France and Italy on final day

Seven days of pulsating action in Alexandria culminated in Russia and Hungary claiming the final two gold medals of the UIPM 2021 Youth World Championships (U19 and U17) with the future of the sport looking brighter than ever. 

Russia’s Kirill Manuilo made good on a pre-Championships promise as he claimed individual gold in the U19 Men’s final, narrowly seeing off the spirited challenges of Cedric Chatellier of France and home favourite Moutaz Mohamed, who claimed one last medal for Egypt. Mohamed (EGY) collected his third medal of the week overall after a gold and bronze in relay competition. 

Just an hour earlier, two of the week’s other prolific medal collectors struck gold for Hungary as Botond Tamas and Blanka Bauer combined to perfection in the U17 Mixed Relay. Tamas had already claimed individual gold while his teammate took bronze in the U17 Women’s final. 

Silver went to Belarus who had Vasili Palazkou and Mira Buraya to thank as they pipped Egypt to the top of the overall medal table for the week. Italy claimed their first medal of the games on the final day as Matteo Bovenzi and Elisa Sala held on for bronze. 

With just three years to go to the Olympic Games in Paris, the next generation of Modern Pentathlon certainly took their opportunity at the Arab Academy for Science Technology & Maritime Transport, leaving a huge impression and plenty of reasons to keep a close eye as they continue to develop.

 

U19 Men’s Final

Russia were in front from the get-go of the U19 Men’s final but it was Manuilo’s teammate Matvei Ivanov-Kunitskii who set the tone in the pool, finishing fastest of the 36-strong field in a time of 1:58.76. Poland’s Maciej Klimek was just a second behind with Richard Gulyas of Hungary the only other competitor to break the 2-minute mark in the Swimming round. 

The Fencing round proved to be a remarkably even contest with Portugal’s Duarte Taleigo the most prolific on the piste with 24 victories. Manuilo (RUS) made his move with 22 victories, a mark equalled by another three rivals — Juan Ochoa of Guatemala, Chatellier (FRA) and Moriz Klinkert of Germany. 

It was all set up for a highly anticipated Laser Run but it quickly turned into a three-horse race. That didn’t make it any less electrifying however as Manuilo (RUS), Chatellier (FRA) and Mohamed (EGY) all went toe-to-toe. Manuilo (RUS) secured gold with the fastest time of 10:42.50 with Chatellier’s mark of 11:00.10 enough to hold off Mohamed (EGY) who set the second-fastest time of the day in 10:44.20. 

Click here to see the full U19 results. 

 

U17 Mixed Relay

The final day of competition offered the last chance for countries to get on the medal table and that seemed apparent in the pool as three countries who had yet to reach the podium led the early charge in the Swimming round. 

Bulgaria, represented by Emil Grozdanov and Ralitsa Miteva, set the fastest time, clocking 1:55.75 just shade ahead of Italy (Bovenzi/Sala) with the duo from Thailand, Vipas Hepnak and Khemjira Chua-In, third in a time of 1:58.23. 

It’s become an over-repeated note during this hectic week but in Triatle format for U17, Laser Run takes on even greater importance and offers the chance for the class in the field to shine through. So it proved as the medal pedigree already proven by Hungary (Tamas/Bauer) came through again. They finished fastest of all in a blistering time of 11:11.00, six seconds ahead of Belarus (Palazkov/Buraya) with Russia’s pairing of Maksim Malyshev and Olesya Khamidullina third-fastest in 11:22.00. Italy (Bovenzi/Sala) dug deep to come home sixth-fastest in 11:35.20 and pipped the Russians to the podium by the narrowest margin.

Click here to see the full U17 results. 

 

Winners’ reaction

New U19 Men’s world champion Kirill Manuilo (RUS) said: “I am very, very happy. At the Youth European Championship, I promised to win. I promised in an interview to come here and be the first. I am happy [to do it].”

U17 Mixed Relay gold medalist Botond Tamas (HUN) said: “My swimming was my personal best and by the Laser Run, Blanka ran and shoot really well so I had not too difficult [of a task]. It was a real pleasure to be here and to race. It’s a good way to finish the week, with a medal.”

 

UIPM reaction

Former Modern Pentathlon Olympian Aya Medany OLY (EGY), now a member of Egyptian parliament and member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission. said: “First of all I’m just happy that we had the competition in the Arab Academy. It’s my university. I was a student in the Arab Academy and I’m a teaching assistant as well, in the Cairo branch. I was glad that I was the first one to make the collaboration between the Egyptian federation and the UIPM and the Academy. It was a full five years and now I’m happy to see it on the field. It’s perfect. The athletes, the coaches and even the executive board they are very happy from the field . Having everything in the same place, especially for the youth, they are happy. They just care that they are together in one place. I was speaking with our president Sherif El Erian yesterday that this is what the youth need — to be together and to speak together for one week. I was lucky that I have won this competition before — three gold and two silvers. So I’m glad to see the new generation as chair of the Athletes’ Commission, hopefully I can see them in the future at senior and Olympic level.”

 

UIPM 2021 Youth World Championships (U19 and U17) — Final medal table

Belarus: 3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze

Egypt: 3 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze

Russia: 2 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze

Hungary: 2 gold, 2 bronze

Poland: 2 silver

Lithuania: 1 silver, 1 bronze

France: 1 silver

Italy: 1 bronze

 

Watch and follow

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