GREAT Britain pentalthon performance director Jan Bartu believes Sam Murray can take the positives after a poor shooting performance saw her fall from a medal challenger to 16th place in the World Championships in Russia.

The Clitheroe star was sitting in fourth spot heading into the combined event but she slipped off the pace to 16th overall as Hungary's Sarolta Kovacs took gold.

Despite the disappointing end Bartu, who watched the silver medalist from the London 2012 Olympics impress in the swim, fence and ride categories, remained optimistic ahead of this summer's Rio games.

He said: "This was Sam's best swim performance in a year and although the fencing could have been better she did really well.

"One knock-down in the ride was acceptable but unfortunately the tough nature of the combined event doesn't allow you to stay in contention with one bad shoot and she dropped away from the leaders."

Murray recorded the third fastest swim of the day in the opening event and remained there after the fencing. An impressive ride performance, where she held her own on a technical course, put the 26-year-old fourth heading into the finale.

But the East Lancashire star lost too much ground to the leaders in the shoot and slipped down to 16th.

Murray's GB teammate Kate French came 24th.

Murray, who has already achieved the Olympic qualification standard will find out whether she has been selected by Team GB on Wednesday, June 8.