Joanna Muir

Joanna Muir, born on August 30, 1994, in Haugh of Urr, Scotland, developed a strong athletic foundation through running and tetrathlons. She began competing in modern pentathlon at age 15. After completing her studies at the University of Bath, where she earned a degree in Sports Performance in 2015, Muir transitioned to a full-time athletic career. Her early career included a debut in the Modern Pentathlon World Cup circuit in Palm Springs, California, in 2013.

Muir’s career progression saw significant milestones, including a silver medal in the women’s relay at the Junior European Modern Pentathlon Championships in 2015, alongside Francesca Summers. In 2016, she secured another silver in the women’s relay at the World Modern Pentathlon Championships in Moscow, partnered with Samantha Murray. That same year, she was the highest-ranked British finisher, placing fifth, in her senior European Championship debut in Sofia, Bulgaria. Her individual performances continued to rise, with a 16th place finish at the 2018 World Modern Pentathlon Championships and victories at the Budapest Indoor International event in both January 2019 and January 2020.

A significant turning point came in February 2020 when Muir won her first Modern Pentathlon World Cup gold medal in Cairo. In March 2021, she placed second at the World Cup event in Budapest and maintained consistency with fourth-place finishes in subsequent World Cup events. This consistent performance led to her qualification for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, where she finished 14th. In 2022, she earned an individual silver medal and a team gold at the European Modern Pentathlon Championships in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, before announcing her retirement from the sport in January 2023. Following her retirement, Muir began working in a sports marketing agency.