Thirty-six athletes have qualified for the final including some of the top names in women's modern pentathlon ©UIPM

Russia’s reigning champion Gulnaz Gubaydullina will defend her title at the International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) World Championships after she qualified for the women’s individual final in Mexico.

Qualifying for the women’s individual event took place at Mexico City’s Pentathlon Stadium at the Campo Marte sports complex.

Currently ranked as world number four, Gubaydullina will compete against the 2016 world champion, Sarolta Kovacs.

Hungarian Kovacs is currently world number two in the world and is the highest world-ranked participant as Australia’s Chloe Esposito, world number one, withdrew from the event in the Mexican capital.

European champion Marie Oteiza of France also qualified for the final alongside teammate Elodie Clouvel, the silver medallist from Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

China’s Zhang Mingyu, 2018 Asian Games champio,  will join the French duo in the final.

Gulnaz Gubaydullina won the gold in the women's individual event at last year's World Championships ©Getty Images
Gulnaz Gubaydullina won the gold in the women's individual event at last year's World Championships ©Getty Images

Zhang qualified second in the first qualification round behind Janine Kohlmann of Germany with Russia’s Ekaterina Khuraskina in third.

In the second qualification pool, two Mexican athletes triumphed in front of their home crowd.

Mariana Arceo and Mayan Oliver qualified first and second respectively and will be the only two Mexican athletes to represent the host city.

Hungary’s Zsofia Foldhazi qualified third.

A total of 67 athletes took part in qualifying and 36 have qualified for the final.

Tomorrow’s competition will see the qualifying for the men’s individual event.