Bryanston High School learners Megan and Matthew Hunt continue to hold the blue flame high.
The siblings recently gave an outstanding performance at the South African Modern Pentathlon Association (Sampa) Championships at Somerset College in the Western Cape. Athletes from across the country came together to compete in the pentathlon, tetrathlon, and laser run events.
Pentathlon involves equestrian show jumping, swimming, fencing, and laser run (a multi-discipline running and shooting event) while tetrathlon is composed of four out of the five disciplines of a pentathlon; swimming, fencing, running and shooting.
Megan was crowned this year’s laser run championship for the U19 girls and Matthew took home the title of tetrathlon champion for the U15 boys while placing fourth in the laser run.
The sport was created by the ‘father of the modern Olympic Games’ Baron Pierre de Coubertin as a test of the ‘most complete athlete in the world’. It is based on the five skills that a courier needed to deliver a message during the Napoleonic Wars – to ride a horse over obstacles, use a sword and pistol for defense and run and swim the message home.
Gauteng Modern Pentathlon secretary Graham Burnett noted that this was the first competition for the athletes who had been previously side-lined as a result of the pandemic. “As a province, we did extremely well at the SA Champs this year. All the athletes can be very proud of themselves for putting in the effort and delivering great results to ensure that Gauteng is recognised as one of the dominant provinces in the sport.”
According to Sampa president Schalk McDulling, it was great to see the athletes competing against after such a difficult and challenging year. “The health and safety of our athletes and supporting personnel are paramount for all events and preparations – we had a very successful championship.”
Matthew also qualified alongside four others to represent Sampa at the Laser Run World Championships in Egypt next month.
“I was very happy to see competitors from various provinces that have become friends as we haven’t seen each other for so long and we have all grown so tall. I was very nervous but I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in my first SA Tetrathlon event and I was ecstatic to bring home a gold medal,” said Matthew.
Related articles:
Bryanston High learner nabs podium finish in mountain bike race
