The team is led by Mhairi Spence who has a Coach Education and Sports Development degree from the University, and who went to the World Championships ranked fifth in the world, becoming the first British woman to win the individual gold at a Modern Pentathlon World Championships since Steph Cook in 2001.

Spence said: "I find it hard to find words to describe how excited I am to be part of the British team for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

"I've dreamed of competing at an Olympics since I was eight years old and I feel like it's so much more special because the Olympic Games will be in London."

The other female team member student Samantha Murray, 22, studies French and Politics, and has always put focus on excelling her academic career. She took a two-year break from the sport in order to concentrate on her A Levels, determined to pursue an academic career at the same time as her training. She then lived in Paris for six months as part of her university course, and trained at the French Institute of Sport while there, juggling her sporting and academic career where she could.

She said: “Competing at a home Games is the opportunity of a lifetime and I can’t wait. I’m going there with the aim of winning a medal and it will be great to have a home crowd behind me.”

Sam Weale, 30, who graduated from Bath with a Degree in Sports Technology, competed in 2008 Beijing Olympics and achieved Olympic qualifying standard in the World Cup round in China last week.

Team GB chef de mission Andy Hunt said:

"The four athletes selected today have demonstrated their great potential with impressive results at world level over the past 12 months, most notably through the gold and bronze medals won by Mhairi and Samantha respectively at the world championships.”

The men’s competition takes place on 11th August, followed by the women’s competition a day later.

Pentathlon GB’s High Performance Centre is based at the University of Bath.

By Ruth Faulkner