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Bad calf injury ends Olympic dream

Harland: "...it just went pop"
Harland: "...it just went pop"

Georgina Harland's dreams of competing in another Olympic Games came to a painful end at the World Modern Pentathlon Championships in Budapest.

The 30-year-old Athens bronze medallist from Waltham, near Canterbury, suffered a ruptured calf muscle in the 3km run on Saturday and has flown home immediately.

She is confined to a wheelchair and was due to see a specialist in Bristol on Wednesday night.

Harland said: "The last four years have been very turbulent, with injury after injury and then illness. The medics need to make decisions about what happens."

Harland qualified fourth in the semi-finals but added: "I had a great semi but made a poor start in the shooting and the fencing was a little under par. The swimming was fine and I went clear in the jumping but then disaster struck.

"I was flying at the time and going really well. Then with 1,000m to go it just went pop, and I have never experienced anything like it. However I knew there was a team medal to be won and I didn’t even think about stopping."

Harland’s bravery helped the British team win silver.

She finished 30th in the individual competition, while team-mate Katy Livingstone took bronze, her first individual medal. Heather Fell was fourth, with Mhairi Spence 19th.

The trio also won silver in the team relay on Monday.

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