Lithuanian athlete Gintare Venckauskaite stunned the world on Sunday at the UIPM Modern Pentathlon World Cup in Ankara, Turkey. Despite being favored to win, French athletes Marie Oteiza and Elodie Clouvel had a disappointing performance.
Venckauskaite finished in first place with a total of 1422 points, thanks to her strong performance in the laser run leg. Mariya Gnedtchik finished in second place, while İlke Özyüksel claimed third spot on the podium.
French athletes Oteiza and Clouvel led most of the competition but struggled in the shooting series, leading to an eighth-place finish for Oteiza and ninth place for Clouvel.
After her victory, Venckauskaite expressed her happiness and pride in executing her plan successfully. She felt the pressure throughout the laser run but gave it her all to come out on top. The men’s race was scheduled to take place later on the same day.
Viewers can catch the action from Ankara live on the Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app. The races held from June 17, 2023, to June 17, 2024, will earn athletes points towards the UIPM Olympic Ranking, which could help them secure a spot at the Paris 2024 Games.
