Coopers old boy in Modern Pentathlon action

Hornchurch’s Tom Toolis competes for Great Britain in the Modern Pentathlon European Championships this week.

The former Coopers Coborn pupil was named in a 10-strong GB squad for the event in Sofia, alongside Samantha Murray, Kate French, Jamie Cooke and Joe Choong, who are heading to the Rio Olympics later this summer.

Toolis and Sam Curry will compete in the men’s individual competition with Luke Tasker and James Myatt, with qualifying on Friday and the final on Sunday.

Meanwhile Murray and French compete in the women’s individual alongside Joanna Muir, with qualifying on Thursday and the final on Saturday.

Cooke and Chong are in action in the men’s relay on Tuesday, as Muir and junior athlete Georgia Pipes join forces in the women’s team event on Monday and Myatt and Pipes compete in the mixed relay on Wednesday.

Athletes compete in fencing, swimming, riding and a combined run and shoot in modern pentathlon and Britain has enjoyed success at the last four Olympic Games, with Steph Cook and Kate Allenby winning gold and bronze at Sydney 2000.

Georgina Harland won bronze at Athens 2004, while Heather Fell took silver at the Beijing Games in 2008 and Samantha Murray won silver at London 2012.