By Andrew Fraser

Allenby (right) will take a wealth of experience to Athens

Britain's modern pentathles have a tough act to follow after their Olympic successes in Sydney four years ago.

Stephanie Cook and Kate Allenby were major contributors to the nation's best medal haul for 80 years as they picked up gold and bronze respectively in the women's event.

Allenby has overcome a string of injury problems to force her way back into contention for Athens.

And the 30-year-old insists she is undaunted as she contemplates the prospect of going for another medal in August.

"The only reason I stayed on after Sydney was to compete in another Games, so they are the be-all-and-end-all," she told BBC Sport.

"But I've been working hard on just treating it as another competition because if it becomes anything special then immediately you blow your focus.

"I've changed a lot as an athlete since the Games. I'm a lot more relaxed and enjoying competing a lot more.

"If I get stressed, I don't perform as well. I'm wasting less energy during the day, so that when I come to the run [the pentathlon's final event] I'm fresher than I used to be."

KATE ALLENBY Born: 16/3/74 Career highlights: 2003 World bronze, 2000 Olympic bronze, 1998 World Cup Final winner, 1997 European gold 1995 junior world silver 1994 junior world bronze Strongest events: Fencing, riding

Modern pentathlon, which consists of shooting, fencing, swimming, showjumping and a 3,000m run, was designed for the Games as the test of a complete athlete.

And, although Allenby is frustrated by the lack of media coverage, it is a sport in which Britain's women have excelled.

Cook retired after winning the world title in 2001 but Allenby's new domestic rival, European champion Georgina Harland, will be among the favourites for gold in Athens.

Harland went to Sydney as a reserve after Allenby met the qualification criteria before her. This time both qualified with a year to spare, and hope to spur each other on to glory.

"It's a real united front, and if you're training with the best in the world it just makes you want to get better," said Allenby. "Georgina and I bounce off each other very well.

"She was amazing in Sydney. It must have been a tremendous disappointment for her because I pinched it from her.

"But she couldn't do enough to help me and it really helped develop us as a unit. She saw it all in Sydney - the only thing she didn't do was compete."

Allenby was introduced to modern pentathlon through the Pony Club, although she did not actually have a pony when she joined.

Modern pentathletes complete five events in a single day

But she quickly made her mark and went on to win bronze in the junior world championships in Spain in 1994.

She has struggled for long periods with shoulder and shin injuries since Sydney, but announced her return to form with bronze at the world championships last year.

"I'm not where I wanted to be four years after the last Games because of these injury problems, but I feel it's starting to come together," she said.

"The most important thing now is to avoid injury. If I do that I can just get better and better.

"But we will have to see how it goes. There is a lot that can go right and a lot that can go wrong in pentathlon."