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A British modern pentathlete has criticized selection policy and governance after a disappointing performance at the Paris Olympics.
British modern pentathlete Joe Choong has openly criticized his country's selection policy and the governance of modern pentathlon after failing to defend his title at the Paris Games.
The 29-year-old expressed his dissatisfaction following a disappointing ninth-place finish in Paris, far behind Egyptian winner Ahmed Elgendy.
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Choong, who made history alongside women’s champion Kate French in Tokyo, faced a steep uphill battle after a subpar fencing ranking round on last Thursday.
Despite scraping through to the final by finishing eighth in Friday’s semi-final, Choong delivered commendable performances in the riding, swimming, and laser run events.
In a candid post-competition interview, Choong revealed that his recent struggles were partly due to issues off the field, particularly relating to his training environment and the non-selection of his girlfriend, who is also a modern pentathlete.
"The saying goes a happy athlete's a good athlete, and I think that's true. I've not been particularly happy with the training environment for a couple of months," he said as per Somerset Live.
"The decision around not picking my girlfriend, that process was really disappointing. It's been difficult to work through that."
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The Paris Games marked another evolution in the sport's format, compressing what was traditionally a five-day event into less than two hours.
While the showjumping element, which sparked controversy in Tokyo after a German coach was filmed hitting a horse, was retained for Paris, it is set to be replaced by obstacle racing in the next Olympic cycle, set to take place in Los Angeles in 2028.
Choong has been a vocal critic of this impending change, arguing that the decision was pushed through without adequate consultation with the athletes.
"You have to accept it because ultimately we weren't listened to and, if you keep banging your head against a brick wall, all you're going to do is hurt your head," Choong said.
"I still stand by what I said. We said all along the process wasn't right and there were some misdeeds in there, and I think some of those might be coming to light," he added.
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Despite his frustrations, Choong remains committed to the sport, at least for the short term.
"I'm going to keep going for another year.I don't want to end on a ninth, I'm an Olympic champion for a reason, double world champion. I want to end on a high."
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