Beatrice Mercuri, right, led qualification for the women's final ©UIPM World Pentathlon/Virág Buza

Italy’s Beatrice Mercuri and Elena Micheli topped the two women’s semi-finals at the Pentathlon World Cup in Budapest.

The 22-year-old Mercuri accumulated 1,087 points overall to fend off Egyptian duo Salma Abdelmaksoud and Amira Kandil plus Hungary’s Michelle Gulyas by a single point in semi-final A.

Micheli scored 1,086 points to lead semi-final B.

Mercuri started off with a score of 210 in the fencing where she tallied 17 wins - nine fewer than Kamil.

Yet the Italian advanced further up the table thanks to 284 swimming points before capping off her day with an impressive 593 in the laser-run.

The semi-fnial format was dubbed
The semi-fnial format was dubbed "exciting for everybody to watch" by Klaus Schormann ©UIPM World Pentathlon/Virág Buza

Semi-final B saw world silver medallist Micheli cross the line eight seconds ahead of Latvian Katerina Krejci for victory.

Mayan Oliver of Mexico had the fastest laser-run time and is among the 18 athletes to qualify for tomorrow's final in the Hungarian capital.

International Modern Pentathlon Union President Klaus Schormann was among today's spectators and claimed that the new World Cup format, which sees the laser-run reveal who advances to the final, was "exciting for everybody to watch".

Members of the UIPM's Fifth Discipline Working Group - tasked with coming up with a replacement for the equestrian element of the sport after the Paris 2024 Olympics - were also present.