Olympic Games: Pentathlon: Phelps in flourish

RICHARD PHELPS opened his campaign in the modern pentathlon yesterday by finishing fifth in the fencing discipline. Phelps, who was one place away from a medal in Los Angeles in 1984 and sixth in Seoul, gained 42 victories from his 65 bouts.

The 31-year-old national champion from Gloucester, said: 'Fencing is the most tiring of the five disciplines but I think I've done better in the fencing here than in the last two Olympics.'

Phelps won the team bronze in Seoul with Dominic Mahony and Graham Brookhouse, the same trio which has been assembled for Barcelona. They finished seventh in the team standings with 2,490 points, behind the Hungarians, who head the field with 2,796.