Laser runner fights back in world champs
SHARONLEA – Local youngster blast past girls older than her at laser-run world championships.
Chloe Diedericks-Boudouris (11) represented South Africa in the U13 division of the 2017 Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) Laser-Run World Championships, and can be proud of how she did.
A seventh-place finish for the Sharonlea resident was hard earned, especially as most of her opponents were a year older than her.
The youngster started the tournament on 14 and 15 October, with a poor first shot.
“I had to fight back and managed to make up six places,” she said. “I have never felt anything so energising before. What an experience, I loved every minute of it.”
Diedericks-Boudouris added that key to her success was realising she had to give her all and do it for God’s glory.
South Africa hosted the tournament for the first time and Cape Town Stadium saw 20 countries field teams in the thrilling sport, still relatively new in the country.
For Diedericks-Boudouris, the event proved a special experience, and she made new friends from across the world.
Graham Burnett, secretary of Gauteng Modern Pentathlon, said, “All the athletes can be very proud of themselves for putting in the effort and delivering results to ensure that South Africa is recognised as one of the best in the world.”
Laser-run forms part of the Olympic Modern Pentathlon. This includes horse riding, fencing, swimming, running and shooting.
Laser-run combines the running and shooting disciplines of the pentathlon. It is fast-paced, and features running several laps with laser target shooting in between the laps.
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