Pentathlon GB performance director Jan Bartu is tipping Scotland’s Mhairi Spence to shine at the next month’s World Championships in Crystal Palace.

Spence has been a revelation in 2009 since the new combined run/shoot format was introduced with a fifth-place at the Rome World Cup proof of her progress.

Along with Olympic silver medallist Heather Fell and Katy Livingston, she also helped Great Britain to team gold at the European Championships last month, and Bartu revealed he has high hopes for the Inverness ace.

“Mhari is one of the athletes who benefited from the new system – the combination of running and shooting,” said Bartu.

“Her profile fits well with the new system. She’s been doing just fine and she’s been fifth in the Rome world cup earlier this year, so she’s got fantastic potential.

“I’m just looking forward to when she manages to put all these elements together on one day.

“Mhari is a very strong shooter, her running is not excellent when we put her on a track and ask her to run a 3000m race, but if we split that race into 3x1000m with shooting in between, that’s when she can maximise her potential because she’s so fast in the transition.”