British Pentathlete Murray Vows to Remain in World's Top Three

Doha, February 18 (QNA) - British athlete Samantha Murray who won the silver medal in the pentathlon event at the London Olympics in 2012 has vowed to remain in the world's top three for the next four years. Describing the effort as her the biggest achievement of her career, Murray said, "It was an incredible experience. I want to remain in the top three of the world for the next for years and do one better in Rio de Janeiro (host city of 2016 Olympics in Brazil)." Murray visited Qatar as Brand Ambassador of the Doha Dash event organised by Professional Sports Group for Dolphin Energy as part of the National Sports Day (NSD) celebrations on February 12. She found Qatar interesting on her first visit to the peninsula. "Doha is a really interesting city. It has got great architecture and it's happening! I have loved this trip and met so many interesting people. It will be interesting to see how it develops and I am definitely coming back," said the athlete who lives in Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. The 23-year-old, who also practices yoga and surfing was impressed by the sports facilities at Aspire where she trained before the NSD event. "Aspire is the most state-of-the-art sports facility that I have ever seen. I would love to be based here. It has everything and is an asset for the whole community," Murray said. Regarding her NSD experience she said, "It was great to see so many companies, ages and nationalities take part. I had never run on a motor sport venue (Lusail International Circuit) so that was a cool experience. Qatar is leading the world with its National Sports Day concept and I hope that other countries follow this great initiative." Swimming is her strength in modern pentathlon which includes fencing, show-jumping, cross country running and shooting in the five-event sport that was introduced to Olympics by French educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin who established the International Olympic Committee and was one of the key patrons in reviving the Games that were held in Olympia, Greece since 776 BC. Talking about the history of the five-event sport which requires top fitness levels and stamina, Murray said, "The sport simulates the experience of a 19th century cavalry story behind enemy lines- apparently based on the Crimean War." Murray, who is doing the final year of French, politics and sports psychology at Bath University, started practicing pentathlon when she was 12-year-old. She was a good swimmer and honed her horse-riding skills at her grandmother's stable. Inspired by Olympic gold medal-winning pentathlete Dr Stephanie Cook, Murray took lessons in fencing and shooting before mastering all the events and started finishing on the medals' podium. Aspiring penathletes should train hard, she said. "You need to ride and like horses! If you start with running and swimming, then you can always learn the skill based sports." (QNA)