ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Italy's Elena Micheli won the gold medal on Saturday evening in the women's final of the 2022 Pentathlon World Championships held by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria.
The 2019 worlds silver medalist staged a strong performance in the 18-pentathlete final, finishing first in swimming and leading the laser run, which combines both running and shooting, throughout the entire race.
She also demonstrated a perfect 300-point horse riding with no jumping or time penalties.
Micheli said she didn't expect to be the new world champion until she was in the lead in the semifinals and qualified for the final.
"I worked hard for it all over the year, with my staff and the people around me. So, I am proud to have them by my side and proud that I have achieved this," Micheli told Xinhua after leaving the winner podium, adding that she eyes an achievement in Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
"Swimming and running are the disciplines where I feel more comfortable and perform best," said the 23-year-old modern pentathlete.
Her coach Andrea Valentini said that this is the first time in 17 years that an individual Italian pentathlete has won a gold medal in the World Championships.
"Elena worked very very hard every day. This achievement is very important to her and to the Italian team. It's a fantastic result," Valentini told Xinhua.
He added that her performance was "perfect" in fencing, swimming and riding in the competition, but she will need to work more on improving shooting.
The silver medal was bagged by Michelle Gulyas of Hungary, while Ilke Ozyuksel of Türkiye managed to win the bronze.
"Our expectation was the podium in these World Championships, and I am really happy we could reach our aim. We have been working for this for a whole year," said Gulyas' coach Peter Tibolya, adding that their next focus is to prepare for Paris 2024.
The Pentathlon World Championships Alexandria 2022 gathered dozens of male and female athletes from more than 40 countries and regions. ■
