Kate chases tough medal

Britain's Kate Allenby and Georgina Harland face the toughest modern pentathlon challenge in Olympic history in Athens, competing in five events in just eight hours tomorrow.

Stephanie Cook won modern pentathlon gold for Britain at the Sydney Games in 2000 while Allenby grabbed bronze, raising the profile of the ultimate Olympic sport.

However, the timing of the programme has since been compressed, despite the intense heat of Athens.

Cook has retired but Allenby is once again ranked No5 in the world, the position she held going into Sydney, and was a member of Britain's gold medal winning team at this year's world championships.

Harland, a frustrated reserve in Sydney, is now the world No1, thanks to a gold medal at the World Cup in Brazil.

To win medals again in a sport that only catches the eye of the wider British sporting public every four years, the women have to excel in shooting, riding, fencing, swimming and a 3,000 metres cross-country run.

Harland, 25 years old, knows she is favourite for gold and, having shed tears of joy as Cook accepted the ultimate Olympic medal in Sydney, is ready for the pressure that comes with her world ranking.

"I shared the experience of Sydney, having been there with Steph and Kate, and I would like to know what it feels like to be on the podium with a medal around my neck," said Harland.

For Allenby these Games will be her penultimate event. Aged 30 and having given "20 years of my life to the sport", it's time to retire, although the Sydney bronze medallist will wait for a couple of weeks after Athens to compete in her last tournament.

"There would be too many tears if Athens was it and I want all my energies focused for the competition," she said.