VERSAILLES — South Korean athletes Seong Seung-min and Kim Sun-woo have successfully advanced to the final of the women’s modern pentathlon at the Paris Olympics, demonstrating strong performances across multiple events at the Chateau de Versailles.
According to Yonhap News Agency, world champion Seong finished fourth in Group A of the semifinals, scoring 1,400 points, while teammate Kim placed fifth in Group B with 1,396 points. Both athletes have moved on to Sunday’s final, where they will start anew, carrying only their points from Thursday's fencing ranking round into the final competition.
The event began with equestrian show jumping, where Seong scored 293 points, and moved onto fencing, swimming, and the laser run, which includes shooting and running. Seong and Kim faced challenges in shooting accuracy amidst the noise and pressure of the Olympic crowd but performed well in other disciplines. Kim, in particular, expressed the need for better mental preparation for the final after experiencing distraction from the spectator noise, which was notably intense compared to her past Olympic experiences.
South Korea has yet to secure a female medalist in Olympic modern pentathlon, a milestone both athletes are keen to achieve, building on the bronze medal won by Jun Woong-tae in the men's category at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.