Great Britain's Nick Woodbridge and Sam Weale have taken a step closer qualifying for the modern pentathlon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Both earned valuable ranking points with a top-20 finish at the Modern Pentathlon World Cup event in Mexico.

Woodbridge was 10th overall with 5,256 points from the five disciplines, with Weale coming 16th on 5,200 points.

"They fought to the end earning important points for qualification," said GB performance director Jan Bartu.

Shropshire's Woodbridge rounded off the day with a good tactical 3k run, overtaking two athletes near the finishing line to secure 10th place and add 38 points to his Olympic qualifying total.

Somerset's Weale added 32 points to the 37 he achieved last month in Cairo at the first round of the World Cup, where he finished 11th.

The University of Bath pair return to action at the third round of the 2008 World Cup at Millfield in Somerset, which runs from 27-30 March.