An athlete from South Huron is competing in one of the oldest events at the Olympic Games in London England — the modern pentathlon.
22 year-old Melanie McCann and teammate Donna Vakilis of Toronto will have to wait two weeks for their competition which takes place on the closing day of the Games on August 12th.
McCann tells Bayshore Broadcasting Sports the pentathlon features fencing, swimming, horse jumping and a combined shooting-and-running event.
She says modern pentathlon is very demanding on competitors.
Each event is done separately with no transition in between.
McCann’s background in the sport goes back to when she was running, swimming and playing basketball at South Huron District High School in Exeter.
She was spotted at age 16 by a coach from St. Anne’s High School in Clinton who encouraged her to also try the shooting and fencing disciplines which would position her as a modern pentathlete.
McCann says she practiced the fencing and shooting disciplines at the teacher’s house in Goderich.
She knows her competition in London will be tough.
McCann tags the German, British and Russian teams as the ones to beat.
Still she says she’s earned her way to the Olympics and she’s in it to win it.
The modern pentathlon made its first appearance at the Olympic Games in Stockholm Sweden in 1912.