Tokyo 2020: Joe Choong emerges from ‘dark time’ to shine on Olympic stage as GB land golden pentathlon double

The 26-year-old claimed men’s pentathlon gold after Kate French’s victory in the women’s event

Joe Choong knows that timing is everything in sport and feared he’d missed his chance.

Last March he was the dominant force in men’s modern pentathlon, ranked No 1 in the world and triumphant in the Olympic test event here in Tokyo.

And then came the pandemic, forcing him to train for three months in his back garden, his self-belief suddenly shattered.

“Having the Olympics cancelled was a big blow for me, I was world No 1 at the time and my form was so good, I was devastated to be honest,” he said, his event live on Eurosport and discovery+.

“I just remember that it was a pretty dark time, I was just unmotivated and didn’t train for a few weeks. I just struggled to get interested in the sport again.”

However, Choong and his flatmate Sam Curry fashioned a makeshift shooting range in their back garden and got back to work – their efforts paying dividends spectacularly on another sultry, humid evening in Japan.

Who needs one modern pentathlon gold when you can win two, as 24 hours after Kate French topped the podium in the women’s race, her teammate followed her lead in equally thrilling fashion.

Since Sydney, British athletes have been podium regulars in this five-in-one sport, with two golds, two silvers and two bronzes banked.

But it’s always been about girl power – until Choong struck back.

A talented runner and swimmer, it wasn’t until he arrived at Whitgift School in Croydon that he found this sport, under the charge of coach Charlie Unwin.

Joe Choong completes a modern pentathlon double for Great Britain (PA Wire)

Unwin liked what he saw in the then 14-year old, texting Sydney bronze medalist Kate Allenby to say he'd uncovered a future Olympic champion, Choong is even left-handed, considered a benefit in fencing.

“He was obviously right,” he joked. “It’s unbelievable, I’ve just got so many emotions going through my head… disbelief, shock.

“It just goes to show the staff we’ve got and how fantastic they’ve been, it breeds a culture of performance in the British team.

“I don't usually cry on the podium but I was pretty emotional. My grandad passed away a few years ago, just after Rio. He wasn’t well enough to come and watch me then and I knew this would have meant a lot to my grandma.

“She’s been telling me she’d come out to Japan and see me win a medal and she was half-right.”

Choong was expected to be a contender in Rio and started the final phase of the competition, which sees competitors run a series of 800-metre laps punctuated by 20 shots on the shooting range, in second place.

However, he missed his first shot and fell to pieces, finishing ninth.

“Anyone who’s seen my Tinder bio, I’m sorry,” he joked. “I claim to have good trigger control... it turned out to be a lie.”

This time around there were no such problems, his advantage from the riding giving him enough of an advantage in the laser run.

Choong and Kate French with their gold medals (PA Wire)

“You don’t want to be dwelling on things like that before you’re about to go for Olympic gold,” he added.

“However, I definitely felt the pressure, that was not anywhere near my best shooting but it was better than Rio.

“My first shot didn’t register for some reason but I gained from Rio because the same thing happened there.

“I just mentally went back then, I couldn’t hit another shot whereas here I kept my cool and stayed focused.”

Modern pentathlon is a sport in perpetual evolution, seemingly bringing in new formats and rules for every Games. The decision to hold all five sports in one stadium was clearly a success, with two thrilling races here.

In Paris there will be further changes, a new 90-minute format that Choong remains unsure about. However, the prospect of competing alongside younger brother Henry, a Youth Olympian with Team GB in 2014, could keep the 26-year-old in training.

“I think the sport needs to evolve, we’ve been told that we need to keep up with how exciting the modern sports are,” he added.

“I'll have to see how this new format suits me, whether it’s going to require a different set of skills or not. Winning an Olympic medal is amazing but competing with my brother would be on the same level.

“He has always boasted he was the first Olympian because of the Youth Games. He’s the clever one and went to Cambridge and just did pentathlon for fun.

“He's two years younger than me but four years behind in terms of training. I think he can do it, he’s got the same genes as me, so why not?”

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