McCann finishes no. 33 at modern pentathlon world championship

By Dan Plouffe

Ottawa’s Melanie McCann couldn’t replicate the success she found during the semi-final round in the combined shooting and running event at the modern pentathlon world championships today in Moscow and wound up with a 33rd-place finish.

McCann placed fourth in riding and 15th in fencing, but 25th in swimming and 35th in combined out of 36 finalists.

The 21-year-old who moved to Ottawa last fall to train full-time under national team coach John Hawes placed sixth in one of the two semi-final rounds to achieve her goal of reaching her first career world final in her second appearance at the global championships.

McCann will now turn her focus to preparing for the Pan American Games Oct. 13-31 in Guadalajara, Mexico, which serves as a regional qualifier for the London 2012 Olympics.

Rockland’s Mathea Stevens also competed at the world championships, placing 30th in her semi-final. Stevens, 19, will attend at the world junior championships November in Argentina.

See all the results here.