Livingston and Spence omitted from World Championships squad

BEIJING Olympian Katy Livingston and British World Cup bronze medallist Mhairi Spence have been omitted from Great Britain's squad for the World Championships in Chengdu, China.

MISSING OUT: Beijing Olympian Katy Livingston competed at last year's World Championships in Crystal Palace, but will not make the trip to Chengdu this year (Getty Images)

Livingston, 27, has struggled with the introduction of the run/shoot format after the Beijing Olympics, and has not rediscovered the form that saw her clinch world bronze in 2007.

Instead, there are call-ups for 21-year-old Katy Burke and Samantha Murray, 20, who join Olympic silver medallist Heather Fell and 20-year-old Freyja Prentice, who made her World Championships debut last year in Crystal Palace.

Jan Bartu, Pentathlon GB performance director, said: "We have a mix of experienced Olympic Games athletes and some new kids that will be on the start line for the first time at this level. All of them have earned their places.

 "There will be two generations of athletes in one team and I think that's very positive for us.

"It will be a really tough competition. We're looking for a top-eight finish in both genders."

In the men's ranks, 19-year-old Jamie Cooke joins Beijing Olympians Nick Woodbridge and Sam Weale, who returns to action following his silver medal at last month's European Championship in Hungary.

Earlier this month Burke, Murray and Prentice joined forces to win team gold for Great Britain at the World Junior Championships in Hungary, while Prentice won individual silver and team relay gold with Burke and another young British pentathlete, Kate French.

Cooke just missed out on the medals at the World Junior Championships, finishing fifth in the men's individual competition.

Woodbridge, meanwhile, was the highest placed male Briton at the 2009 World Championships at Crystal Palace, finishing 13th.

The championships get underway with on Wednesday September 1 with the men's qualification competition, with the women's qualification taking place the following day.