Bright Moments for Team USA Women in World Championships Qualification

Kaunas, Lithuania — Team USA’s women delivered flashes of promise in the qualification round of the Modern Pentathlon World Championships, highlighted by Madison Gonzalez’s lightning-fast swim, Corinne Thompson’s fencing breakthrough, and Kseniya Voronina’s debut on the world stage.

Seventy-one women from 25 countries were split into two groups, with the top 18 in each advancing to the final. The Americans were tested against a deep international field but found important milestones to carry forward.

In Group A, Madison Gonzalez came up just short of the top-18 cutoff, finishing 21st with 1,322 points. Her second-fastest swim of the group stood out as one of the best individual performances of the day, showing she can compete with the top athletes in the pool.

“I felt bad about my fencing because doing a stronger fencing, will mean another story. But somehow it makes me push harder on the other disciplines. Otherwise I felt confident on my physical disciplines but got to go back home to work on my technical skills and building a stronger mindset for next season,” Gonzalez said.

Alongside her, Corinne Thompson placed 33rd with 1,195 points. She delivered her best fencing score at a major international event and also cleared the obstacle course in her first attempt at the world level, two milestones that reflected her growing confidence.

“Today was a good day for me! Fencing was a highlight since I recently switched to fencing with a French grip from a pistol grip and I’ve really enjoyed the change. It was also my first time doing obstacle at the world level so I was pleased with my clear round and overall performance!” Thompson said.

Over in Group B, Kseniya Voronina made her Senior World Championships debut, finishing 32nd with 1,250 points. She impressed in the pool with the sixth-fastest swim in her group and gained valuable experience in her first outing on the global stage.

“On the first two events I felt super nervous, but after swimming I was able to pull myself together. On the fencing I was really enjoying the process. And about laser run I did it the best I could at the time. I got a lot of experience and now I know my weaknesses,” Voronina said.

Head coach Vaho Iagorashvili pointed to the highlights as evidence of steady progress.

“Today was a valuable step forward for our women’s team. Madison, Corinne, and Kseniya each showed bright moments, from strong swims to fencing breakthroughs, and these are the signs we look for in building a competitive future. This was an important learning experience and I believe all three will return stronger. I’m excited about the progress we’re seeing and confident that these athletes will continue to grow into contenders on the world stage,” Iagorashvili said.

While no American athletes advanced to the final, the day in Kaunas was not without success. With personal milestones, breakthrough performances, and a valuable taste of world-class competition, Team USA’s women left Lithuania motivated for the next chapter in their development.