Nick Woodbridge is back in action at European Championships
Telford's double Olympic modern pentathlete Nick Woodbridge is set to compete at his first event for almost a year when he represents Great Britain at next week's European Championships.
He will be joined in Hungary by fellow Shropshire athlete Joe Evans, from Whitchurch. He will compete in the mixed relay alongside Samantha Murray on Monday.
Woodbridge managed to claim silver at last year's World Championships in Chinese Taipei in August despite a hip injury but went under the knife to remedy the problem in February.
But he will return to action at the event, which starts on Thursday, alongside Whitchurch's Joe Evans as well as Jamie Cooke and Joe Choong in a four-strong GB men's team.
He said: "This year has really been quite difficult, it's all been about rehab.
"I'm in quite good shape, but I'm not quite 100 per cent at the moment. It's a long time since I've competed, so it will be good to see where I am fitness-wise.
"It's a bit of a warm-up for the World Championships in September, then I'll get in a serious amount of rehab over the winter. I should really see the benefits then."
Jan Bartu, Pentathlon GB Performance Director, said he is looking forward to seeing how Woodbridge fares on his return.
"Nick looks good. He's fit and healthy, but he's stepping into unknown territory after not competing for a year," said Bartu.
"He needs to get back on the circuit and regain confidence. The semi-final will be crucial for him at the Europeans."
