Joe and Henry Choong: Brothers targeting 2024 Olympics modern pentathlon spots

After Joe Choong won modern pentathlon gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 one thing that kept him ambitious in the sport was the prospect of competing at another Games alongside his younger brother Henry.

The Choong brothers, who train together in Bath, both want to qualify for Paris 2024.

Defending champion Joe, 28, is hoping to secure his spot this week at the European Games in Krakow, with 26-year-old Henry hoping to clinch Great Britain's second spot over the next 12 months.

"Competing at the Olympics alongside Henry would be up there with my Tokyo achievement," Joe told BBC Points West.

Henry added: "[It would be] really special. I know that for Joe, after winning in Tokyo, competing with me was one of the things that made him decide to go on for another three years."

Like most siblings, the Choong brothers have always been competitive - especially with each other - and both got into modern pentathlon through swimming at youth level.

But while Joe chose to go to the University of Bath in 2013 to combine studying with training - the university is the national base for modern pentathlon GB - Henry went to Cambridge University, effectively "semi-retiring" from the sport.

Joe Choong became the first British man to win Olympic gold in the modern pentathlon

"The whole time at Cambridge I wasn't thinking 'after this I'm going to come back to Bath and give pentathlon another go'. I was sort of thinking I'd go to London, get a financial job, make some money," said Henry.

"But then it was in my second to last year Joe had his best year of his career where he got so many medals.

"I think he won the World Cup final and I went to the World Championships to watch him and it just looked so much fun - the lifestyle, travelling, competing. I thought 'this looks fun, maybe I should try and give it another go'."

The brothers now live virtually next door to each other in Bath and put their sibling bond - and rivalry - to good use in training.

"It's just nice, obviously at university you do your own things, grow apart a little bit but we came back together, started training together and we've still got the same interests. It's nice to have someone to speak to about everything," Joe said.

Completing the Olympic, World and European set

As well as being the reigning Olympic champion, Joe is also the modern pentathlon world champion, having won his maiden title in July last year.

He travels to Poland hoping to be crowned European champion and "complete the set" of holding all three titles at the same time.

A finish in the top eight of the competition will also guarantee his place in the Paris Olympics.

"I've got all the titles apart from the Europeans at the moment and I don't know how many pentathletes can say that they've done that ever," said Joe. "It's a very big personal ambition of mine.

"Given my history and my performances over the last couple of years, I think I'm in a place where I can say if I don't secure that top-eight finish it's gone pretty disastrously wrong.

"For me, the goal is to win but something is not quite right if I don't secure a top eight minimum."

Henry, who is ranked 98th in the world, is not among the GB team travelling to the European Games.

Instead, he is hoping to compete in at least two of the World Cup events next year to boost his ranking and qualify - the six highest-ranked athletes who have not qualified via other accredited events will win an Olympic place.

"This year didn't quite go how I was expecting or to plan so I'm not going to be going to the European Games or getting an Olympic qualifying spot but there's still next year," said Henry.

"Hopefully I can kick on next year and do a bit better and hopefully get the second spot along with Joe."