Paris Olympics: Kate French out of modern pentathlon with illness

Great Britain’s defending Olympic champion Kate French has withdrawn from the modern pentathlon final in Paris because of illness.

The 33-year-old was ranked fifth after Saturday’s semi-finals, just four points behind leader and fellow Briton Kerenza Bryson.

She has been replaced in the final by reserve athlete Annika Zillekens of Germany.

“This has been an extremely difficult decision for Kate as she had hoped to defend her Olympic title and ride in the jumping for a final time in Olympic competition,” a Team GB statement said.

After winning gold in Tokyo in 2021, French took a break from the sport in 2023 and only returned to training last August.

The final of the modern pentathlon starts with the showjumping at 10:00 BST on Sunday.