Sam Weale could prove to be the surprise package for the Great Britain modern pentathlon team at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

The 26-year-old Yeovil athlete earned his place at next month's games by virtue of his international ranking – and Jan Bartu, the GB performance director based at the University of Bath, believes Weale is capable of a podium challenge.

“Sam is very strong athletically and if he can control himself in shooting and have a good start to the competition then I think we can be looking forward to a very good performance,” said Bartu.

“Sam has made fantastic progress. He joined the modern pentathlon set-up without experience of riding, shooting or fencing so is a very good example of what good coaching and investment of money can do in a couple of years. On the confidence side he just needs to believe in himself more. If he gets a good start in Beijing I believe he could do something.”

Those words of encouragement from Bartu, who hands out such praise rarely, clearly pleased Weale, who is the first British man to qualify for an Olympics since Gloucester's Richard Phelps 12 years ago.

Since then the British women have taken the headlines, with Stephanie Cook's gold and Kate Allenby's bronze at Sydney in 2000 and Georgina Harland's bronze four years later in Athens.

It would take a huge effort for Weale or his team-mate Nick Woodbridge to replicate those achievements, but the Somerset man, whose twin brother is Bristol City goalkeeper Chris Weale, is relishing the challenge of his first Olympic Games.

“If you look at all five events – shooting, fencing, swimming, riding and running – I know that if I put them all together and perform to my ability I can be up there,” said Weale.

“But it is about getting them all right on the day – and that is not easy. I would say that any one of 20 athletes in the field could win, especially with the variety of horses that you may get in the jumping. But I have that belief I can do well, especially if I make a good start in the shooting.”

Weale revealed that his love affair with the Olympic Games began 18 years ago when Linford Christie and Sally Gunnell won golds for Britain in Barcelona.

“I had a question recently about my favourite piece of music and it is Barcelona by Freddie Mercury,” said Weale.

“They were a fantastic Games and I can remember watching them and thinking I want to be an Olympian.

“It has been a long, roller-coaster ride for me to get here and now it is fantastic to make a lifelong dream come true. I am very excited.”

Should Weale's team-mate Heather Fell strike gold in Beijing, the punters at the Plume of Feathers Inn in Princetown, Devon, are sure to raise a glass or two.

The 25-year-old, originally from Tavistock but now based in Bath, goes into the Olympics ranked fourth in the world. But she has kept her feet on the ground with the help of a part-time job behind the bar.

“When I am at home (in Devon) I work on a Friday, 12 till 3 in the local pub,” she said.

“When you are away so much it is really difficult to keep a job and they are very supportive.

“I was working quite a bit when I had no funding, they were really flexible and gave me the hours to fit in around my training.

“Now I guess it is more of a social thing – they enjoy being associated with me and I enjoy getting away from everything sometimes.

“It is quite a good thing to have a reality check sometimes, even if it is only for a few hours a week.”