Today, August 23rd, the FISU World University Championship Modern Pentathlon Mixed Team competition in Kaunas showcased a thrilling display of skill and strategy. Egypt emerged as the dominant force, securing both the gold and bronze medals, while Lithuania claimed the silver.
The Mixed Team format, unique to the University championships, allows each team, composed of one female and one male athlete, to make tactical decisions on which disciplines they will compete in. This format adds a layer of strategy to the competition, as each team must carefully decide how to allocate their strengths.
In today’s event, most teams chose to have their female athletes compete in the Obstacle Course Race (OCR). However, the Italian team made a bold choice by selecting male athlete Mattia Rinaudo for the OCR. His exceptional performance, clocking in at 00:25.55, was the fastest time of the day, giving his teammate Alice Rinaudo a 12-second advantage in the laser run.
Egypt’s Zeina Amer also delivered an impressive performance in the OCR, finishing with the second-best time of 00:31.50. Her partner, Moetaz Abouelyazid, known for his strong running skills, started the laser run in second place. The Polish team of Maciej Klimek and Małgorzata Karbownik secured the third starting position in the laser run.
The laser run saw intense competition, particularly between Egypt’s Moetaz Abouelyazid and Lithuania’s Titas Puronas. Titas, led shooting portions, exiting the range first almost all the time. However, Moetaz’s speed on the course allowed him to regain the lead, ultimately securing the gold medal for Egypt. Lithuania took home the silver, with Titas Puronas delivering a commendable performance on home soil.
The bronze medal was claimed by another Egyptian team, consisting of Sally Ismail and Moustafa Abouamer. Starting the laser run in sixth place, they steadily moved up the ranks to finish third.
Reactions from the Winners:
Sally Ismail and Moustafa Abouamer expressed their excitement, saying, “This new format is very beneficial for our team, and we had so much fun while competing.”
Moetaz Abouelyazid, who secured his second gold medal in this competition, commented, “In the OCR race, men and women can manage very similar times. Zeina was superb today—she had a time of 31 seconds, and yesterday I had 30 seconds. I was very happy to compete only in the laser run, which is truly my strongest discipline.”
Zeina Amer added, “It is a nice and quick competition. It’s not a long day, and I think that’s one of our strengths—it benefits us tactically. Moetaz and I complement each other very well in this format. I am very happy to have such a strong team partner.”
Lithuania’s Titas Puronas, thrilled with his performance in front of a home crowd, said, “I am so happy to compete and win silver in my home arena. Maybe it was the support from the audience, or maybe it was just a very good day, but I have never shot better than today. And I am incredibly proud of my teammate, Anastasija Kancytė, who was very fast in the OCR race.”
Anastasija Kancytė added, “I was watching him shoot with awe! That was amazing! He was so close to the Egyptian athlete who has been winning many medals this season in high-ranking competitions.”
The FISU World University Championship continues to provide a platform for young athletes to showcase their talents, and today’s event highlighted the excitement and unpredictability of Modern Pentathlon in this unique mixed team format.
The championship is partially funded by the Lithuanian National Sports Agency.
24 Aug
