PLYMOUTH modern pentathlete Kerenza Bryson was over the moon after winning the bronze medal at the World Championships in China on Sunday.

It was Olympian Bryson’s second World Championship medal, but her first since the sport dramatically changed by swapping the horse jumping discipline for an obstacle course.

She had battled to reach the final in the humidity of Guiyang, finishing ninth in her semi-final.

But the 27-year-old doctor saved her best for the final to clinch third place and repeat her achievement from 2023. She also helped Great Britain win a team bronze.

Hungaria’s Blanka Guzi took individual gold with an impressive laser-run at the end, with Egypt’s 15-year-old sensation Farida Khalil taking silver in the sport that combines fencing, swimming, running, laser-shooting and now an obstacle course.

“I can’t quite believe it,” said Bryson afterwards. “This is my second bronze medal and the last one was when the World Championships was in Bath, and that was an extremely special one. But this one means something different because I’ve been through such a battle and a journey to get here.

“It’s been a hell of a ride, and starting a whole new sport has been more challenging than I ever thought sport could be.

“It’s thrown so much at me, and I’ve just had to overcome so much and be so resilient this year.

“I’m just so proud, so happy, and I want to say so much thanks to everyone back at home, my family, my friends, UK Sport and the National Lottery, Pentathlon GB.

“I know my parents are watching this, but my dad can’t even watch it live because he finds it so nerve-wracking. He’ll be finding out from my mum what happened, and then watching it on replay. I’m just so proud.”

She added: “The whole day had been an absolute battle because I had to absolutely sprint to get the last qualifying spot to make it to even compete (in the final).

“I was lying in my bed (in the morning), thinking I have nothing left, my tank is empty, but I’m just going to give everything I got for the team because we’ve got three girls in the final.

“So, I was trying not to think about it the whole day, just get through it, give it my best, and I waited all the way to pretty much the last lap before I considered a medal, and I counted Blanka, and I counted Farida and went, ‘oh my God, I’m in third! Just don’t let them catch me!’”