USA Pentathlon has sent its top athletes to Guadalajara and 2011 Pan American Games in an effort to qualify spots for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The top two nationally-ranked males (Sam Sacksen and Dennis Bowsher) and the top two females (Margaux Isaksen and Suzanne Stettinius) comprise the U.S. team in Guadalajara.
Sacksen (Somerset, Pa.) and Isaksen (Fayetteville, Ark.) were both members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Beijing. Sacksen is currently ranked 44th in the world and Isaksen is ranked 18th on the female side.
Bowsher (Dallas, Texas) won his 4th career national championship title in August and Stettinius (Parkton, Md.) captured her second straight silver medal at the event as runner-up to Isaksen the last two years.
The women’s competition at the Pan Am Games will be contested on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Club Hipica, with the men’s event to occur on the following day, Sunday, Oct. 16.
Four spots for the London games will be up for grabs at the Pan Am Games for modern pentathlon and will be distributed the following way:
- Best ranked athlete from NORCECA (North America, Central American & The Caribbean)
- Best ranked athlete from South America
- Two best ranked athletes from Pan-America
- All four quota places will be filled by athletes from four different NOCs.
The U.S. sent a full four-member squad to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.