European Games: Sam Curry and Jess Varley mark Team GB debuts with bronze in Krakow
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Jess Varley and Sam Curry won bronze on their Team GB debuts in Krakow, Poland
Sam Curry and Jess Varley marked their Great Britain debuts with bronze in the modern pentathlon mixed relay at the 2023 European Games in Poland.
The British pair were 10th after the fencing before they excelled in the showjumping to climb to third.
Curry held off Turkey's Bugra Unal in the laser run, with the Czech Republic winning gold as Hungary took silver.
"Watching Sam come down the home straight I was like, 'Please just make it," said Varley.
"It was really exciting to watch - I trust Sam and I knew he was going to give it everything and that's all I could ask.
"We knew it was possible to get a medal on our day, we were confident that we could produce that sort of performance, but to go and do it - I'm just really happy."
Curry added: "The exciting thing about pentathlon is that you can look at the names on the start list and out of 14 there's up to 10 that can challenge for a medal and then as the day unfolds you start to see it.
"We tried to keep consistent throughout and we're both thrilled with it."
In badminton, Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith made it three wins from three in the group stage to book their place in the next round of the mixed doubles.
Kirsty Gilmour, who qualified for the women's last 16 without dropping a set, had to produce a fightback to beat Hungary's Vivien Sandorhazi and reach the quarter-finals.
Both British pairings in the badminton men's doubles reached the semi-finals - Alexander Dunn and Adam Hall, and Ben Lane and Sean Vendy.
Across Krakow, in the canoe slalom Britain's Jonny Dickson, Joe Clarke, Chris Bowers, Kimberley Woods, Mallory Franklin and Phoebe Spicer progressed to Saturday's semi-finals.