Mitchell puts in a strong display on her world debut

Mitchell qualified for the finals after coming eighth in her group and started the day well with a clocking of 2min 16.8sec in the 200m swim.

Sixteen-year-old Mitchell, who finished as the top British athlete at last month’s Under-17 European Championships in Bulgaria, was around the level mark throughout the fencing discipline before a final flourish ensured a positive score of 18 victories and 17 defeats.

Mitchell, who attends Plymouth College - one of Pentathlon GB’s eight academies - then secured two extra points in the bonus round to put her 13th heading into the concluding laser run.

The final discipline was always going to be a tough affair at the end of a long day and with many quick runners in the field and it proved to be the case as she crossed the line in 28th.

However, it was still an excellent experience for Mitchell, still an under-17-aged athlete, following on from her ninth-placed finish in the girls’ relay alongside Stroud’s Emma Whitaker.