Alena Popova and Sofia Serkina of Russia have been crowned champions in the women’s relay event at the UIPM Junior World Championships in Cairo, Egypt ©UIPM

Russia's Alena Popova and Sofia Serkina won the women’s relay event at the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) Junior World Championships in Cairo.

On the first day of action at the Championships, 14 teams competed in the event in sweltering conditions in the Egyptian capital. 

South Korean duo Kim Sunoco and Kim Sehee started brightly finishing the swimming event in a time of 2min 04.48sec, over half-a-second quicker than their Russian rivals.

Popova and Serkina completed the course in 2:05.10 and Italy's Alessandra Frezza and Irene Prampolini finished in the third quickest time of 2:06.68.

The fencing proved to be an extremely tight affair with only three victories separating first and eighth positions at the conclusion of the ranking round.

The top-ranked Italian and Belarusian teams ended the first stage tied on 16 victories and 10 defeats, scoring 234 points in total.

When the bonus round began, Germany's Rebecca Langrehr, who set a fencing world record of 298 points at the UIPM Youth A World Championships in Limerick in Ireland in June, began to move her way up the leader board.

Alongside her, team-mate Anna Matthes, she won six contests in a row to claim the overall bonus round title.

Russia's Alena Popova and Sofia Serkina, pictured, held their nerve at the shooting range to win the women's relay at the UIPM Junior World Championships in Cairo ©UIPM
Russia's Alena Popova and Sofia Serkina, pictured, held their nerve at the shooting range to win the women's relay at the UIPM Junior World Championships in Cairo ©UIPM

In spite of this recovery, the Germans were unable to sustain their improvement in the riding event and were quickly eliminated alongside France and Great Britain.

Popova and Serkina, who delivered solid performances on their horses, entered the combined event in first position.

Poland, Belarus and Italy were not far behind and were all in contention for a place on the podium as they started the penultimate event in second, third and fourth respectively.

The combined event was largely uneventful, except for the albeit brief emergence of the Hungarian team of Sarolta Simon and Alexandra Boros as medal contenders, battling with Russia throughout the fourth stage.

The Hungarians, however, bowed out leaving Russia, Italy and Belarus all in similar positions as they approached the shooting range.

Russia's Popova and Serkina managed to hold their nerve to triumph, leaving Italians Frezza and Prampolini with the silver and Belarus' Iryna Prasiantsova and Volha Silkina the bronze.

The Championships are continue tomorrow with the men’s relay oand continue through to Sunday (September 18).