Egypt's rising star Farida Khalil delivered a stunning performance on Saturday to win the women's gold medal at the UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Cup in Cairo.

At just 14 years old, Khalil topped the podium in the final, scoring 1,464 points to claim a rare gold medal for her country in the women's modern pentathlon at a senior World Cup event.

"I'm so happy because this was my first time competing in the World Cup, and I won the gold medal. I've been preparing for this tournament for a long time as a step toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where I dream of winning gold," Khalil said.

Despite an unexpected setback in fencing, the teenager excelled in obstacle racing, swimming, and laser run to secure the overall title.

"I gave it my all today, and no difficulties mattered to me with my eyes set on the top medal," added Khalil, who won the women's individual gold at the 2023 U17 World Championships in Alexandria, Egypt when she was 12.

Khalil was joined on the podium by two Individual Neutral Athletes - Viyaleta Hureyeva and Anastasiya Malashenoka.

Egypt's Minister of Youth and Sports, Ashraf Sobhy, expressed his pride in Khalil's achievement.

"This gold medal reflects the progress of modern pentathlon in Egypt and the strong support the country provides for its athletes," said Sobhy.

In the men's final, Italy's Matteo Cicinelli, who finished fifth at Paris 2024, won with a total of 1,565 points. Hungary's Mihaly Koleszar, a former U22 world champion, secured silver with 1,557 points, while Egypt's Mohanad Shaban clinched bronze with 1,554 points.

As the first event in the 2025 World Cup series, this tournament is also the first senior-level competition to implement obstacle racing instead of equestrian show jumping, following changes introduced after the Paris Olympics.

The next stop in the World Cup series will be in Hungary in April.

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