CAIRO, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Moutaz Mohamed won the men's final of the UIPM 2026 Pentathlon World Cup in Cairo on Sunday with 1,608 points, taking gold with a world-record laser run of 10 minutes 0.23 seconds under the new format and setting a new-format overall high.
Mathis Rochat of France took silver with 1,597 points, while Hungary's Mihaly Koleszar claimed bronze with 1,590.
The triumph added another highlight to the career of Mohamed, the 2025 world champion and current world No. 1, who overcame a deficit before the laser run to produce a blistering finish in front of the home crowd.
Mohamed said the title was especially difficult because he had been ill in the days leading up to the final.
"I had been suffering for the past few days from gastroenteritis, and that was one of the hardest things I faced," he told Xinhua, adding that this made him "very happy and very proud of this achievement."
He noted that he was not at his best in fencing, "but I performed very well in the rest of the events, especially in the laser run, although the running part was difficult because I wasn't feeling well."
Looking ahead, Mohamed said he is now targeting the next World Cup in Bulgaria and bigger goals beyond that, adding that the Cairo World Cup is part of his road to the 2028 Olympics.
Earlier in the day, Hungary's Blanka Guzi won the women's title with 1,488 points, while Anastasiya Malashenoka, competing as an individual neutral athlete, took silver with 1,478 points and fellow individual neutral athlete Viyaleta Hureyeva claimed bronze with 1,477.
The Cairo World Cup, held from April 8 to 12 at Cairo International Stadium, marked the opening leg of the 2026 UIPM Pentathlon World Cup series.
According to the Egyptian federation, the event brought together around 400 male and female pentathletes from 42 countries and regions.
The World Cup series will continue in Bulgaria in May and Hungary in June, ahead of the final to be held in Hungary later in June. ■
