TAVISTOCK's Heather Fell has been confirmed this week as one of the two women modern pentathletes to represent Great Britain in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Heather, 24, was selected by The British Olympic Association (BOA) — along with Katy Livingston, 23 and from Bath - after her superb silver medal performance at last year's European Championships in Latvia, before winning the World Cup in Millfield, Somerset in March. Heather, the former junior world pentathlete champion in 2003, finished fourth in the individual competition at the World Championships in Budapest at the end of last month. Her bid for glory in the Olympic arena follows previous West Devon success by Tavistock's Kate Allenby, who gained a bronze medal in the same event at the Sydney in 2000. Pentathletes compete all five disciplines in one day, starting with shooting 20 shots with a .177 air pistol at 10 metres, fencing every other competitor to one 'hit', a 200m freestyle swim, show jumping over a course with 12 jumps, a 3k run with a staggered start, ensuring the first person crossing the finishing line is the overall winner of the competition. A delighted Heather said: 'Beijing could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. I'm going to try to get everything right and produce the performance of a lifetime. 'With five different sports, we all know if one goes wrong on the day, that's it. I'm going to prepare everything 100 per cent to make the most of the opportunity. If I can get everything right on the day I know I have a chance of a medal, and that's what I'm going to be completely focussed on.' Heather and Katy are currently ranked fourth and fifth in the world respectively. Her parents, Doreen and Nick, said that after waiting for so long to hear the confirmation, that it is good Heather has finally been selected. Doreen told the Times: 'We are absolutely over the moon. It is something that she has been training for so long and for so hard, and now she has made it. The fact that she has made it into the top two of women pentathletes in the whole of Great Britain is an achievement in itself.' Doreen said that Heather would like to thank in particular Robin Brew, the swimming coach of Kelly College, for all his support as well as Robin Musgrave and Tavistock Athletic Club, of which she is a member. Doreen and Nick intend to be in Beijing to cheer on Heather and see her compete on August 22. Simon Clegg, Team GB 2008 Chef de Mission, said: 'I am delighted to welcome these athletes in to Team GB. Modern Pentathlon has been a very successful sport for Team GB in the past and Katy and Heather are both exciting prospects for Beijing this summer. 'I am sure that they will be looking to build upon their recent successes and I wish them well in their final preparations for the Olympic Games.' Dominic Mahony, Team GB modern pentathlon team leader for the Beijing 2008 Olympics said: 'Katy and Heather have proven with their performances both this and last year that they are outstanding athletes in a very strong pool of talented British women. 'They thoroughly deserve their selection, having won medals at this year's World Championships in Katy's case and at last year's European Championships in Heather's case. 'We're also pleased that we have two young athletes with very real medal hopes, both in Beijing, and potentially at London 2012 too.'
