The championships - which will run from 17 to 23 August 2015 - will be the first senior international modern pentathlon competition held in the UK since the London 2012 Olympic Games.

It will be a key competition for pentathletes aiming to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and with only two athletes per gender per nation able to compete at the Olympics and further qualification events in 2016, the competition is sure to be fierce.

Samantha Murray, London 2012 Olympic silver medallist and University of Bath graduate, said: “The Sports Training Village is a world-class facility and I’m sure it will deliver an outstanding modern pentathlon competition for Europe’s best pentathletes.”

Stephen Baddeley, Director of Sport, said: “We have a terrific track record of hosting major sporting events, training camps and teams. The world-leading sports facilities at the Sports Training Village, along with both accommodation and catering on campus, is a winning combination.

“All this in the city of Bath, a World Heritage Site that combines some of the nation’s finest heritage with a vibrant city centre.”

Simon Morton, Director of Major Events & International Relations at UK Sport, said: “The Senior European Modern Pentathlon Championships will be the first of UK Sport’s Gold Event Series Championships to be held in Bath and are a great example of UK Sport’s commitment to staging world class sport throughout the UK to help build a strong legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Jon Austin, Pentathlon GB CEO, said: "We're delighted to bring the European Championships back to the UK in 2015. It's good news for the sport and good news for Britain's modern pentathletes.

"We look forward to working closely with UK Sport and the University of Bath to help make the event a big success."

Modern pentathlon is one of the most demanding Olympic sports and sees athletes tackle fencing, swimming, riding and a run/shoot all in the space of one day.