Nick Woodbridge earns World Championships medal

Great Britain's Nick Woodbridge won a silver medal at the men's modern pentathlon World Championships in Taiwan on Saturday.

Woodbridge, 27, is the first British man to win an individual medal at the World Championships for 20 years.

He said: "It hasn't really sunk in yet, but it feels good. I feel like I've worked hard for this for so many years."

Great Britain women's team retained the gold medal they won in Rome last year.

Samantha Murray, Kate French, Freyja Prentice and Mhairi Spence held off a strong challenge from silver medallists China.

Woodbridge secured his medal with a strong showing in the riding and combined events on Saturday. He had put himself in medal contention with top-10 placings in the fencing and swimming on Thursday.

He was only confirmed in the team two weeks ago after missing much of the season through injury.

Woodbridge, who represented Britain in both the Beijing and London Olympics, added: "Winning silver at the World Championships is by far my best result.

"I've had a difficult year so it's nice to finish on a high. I've had a couple of injuries that have prevented me getting the results I wanted and I think I needed this today."

Britain's Jamie Cooke finished just outside the medals in fifth place.

The last British man to win a medal in the tournament was Richard Phelps, who was world champion in 1993.

There was disappointment for Murray in the women's event, finishing 14th after entering the final day leading the individual competition.

Murray, 23, had led after the fencing and swimming on Thursday, before a typhoon postponed the final two events until Saturday.

The Bath-based Olympics silver medallist finished 33rd in the riding and 29th in the combined to slip out of contention.

French was the top-placed Briton finishing in 10th place, while Prentice was 15th and reigning world champion Spence ended in 17th place.

Lithuanians won both the individual competitions, with Justinas Kinderis clinching the men's event and Laura Asadauskaite taking the women's title.

Russia's Aleksander Lesun won bronze in the men's event, with Yane Marques of Brazil sealing women's silver and Donata Rimasaite the bronze.