The 23-year-old from Sydney, who balances training for five disciplines with studying medical science at the University of Sydney, first represented Australia at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Nanjing.

Carrier has overcome an injury-riddled 2019, including a femur bone stress that threatened to derail her bid for Olympic qualification, to be named as the seventh athlete on the Australian Olympic team for Tokyo 2020.

Australian Olympic team Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman welcomed Carrier’s selection.

"Congratulations to Marina, her coaches, family and the modern pentathlon community on her selection to the Australian Olympic team," Chesterman said.

"Marina has already shown incredible grit and resilience to come back and compete through some serious injuries to chase her Olympic dream and the AOC (Australian Olympic Committee) is thrilled to announce her selection.

"Her selection today, more than five months out, will give her the best possible preparation for Tokyo."

Carrier made two International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) World Cup finals in 2018 and started 2019 in excellent form to finish third at the Polish National Open, before suffering her injury.

"I got my first taste of the Olympics at the Nanjing Youth Olympics in 2014 and that absolutely lit a fire in me and made me want to go back for more," she said.

"It still feels surreal to know I’m going to Tokyo 2020 - being able to share my selection with family and friends is helping it sink in, and it’s just thrilling.

"I love competing - you’ve worked so hard for it and you get to put all your effort on show.

"Dealing with injuries in 2019 - including a bone stress in my femur - was challenging because an injury like that means you can’t train and put in the work you know you need to."

The injuries meant Carrier was unable to fence or run for several months leading into the Oceania Championships in November 2019, when only a win would have guaranteed her the continental quota.

Despite a valiant effort on the back of her interrupted preparation, she was caught in the final laser run by New Zealand’s Rebecca Jamieson. 

While Carrier had healed up and set her sights on securing qualification through the 2020 World Cup ranking pathway, the UIPM advised this month that New Zealand had not accepted the quota spot, meaning Carrier received the Oceania qualification and booked her ticket to Tokyo 2020.

"It takes being out of condition to appreciate the huge physical load demanded by an international level pentathlon competition," she said.

"After all the time out due to injury, even making it through the full day of competition was a massive achievement in itself. 

"By the end of the day I could hardly stand up – I’ve never been so utterly exhausted from a competition in my entire life.

"Securing my spot now means, rather than chase ranking points, I can focus on getting in a big training block at home and plan out my competitive year exactly according to what suits me. 

"I’ll be rested, stronger and much more prepared by the time Tokyo comes around."

Carrier’s qualification secures Australia’s continuous run of female representation in modern pentathlon since the women’s event was introduced to the Olympic programme at Sydney 2000, from Kitty Chiller 20 years ago to Rio 2016 gold medallist Chloe Esposito.

Esposito will not defend her title at Tokyo 2020 as she is pregnant. 

Carrier will join her training partner Edward Fernon as Australia’s modern pentathlon representatives at Tokyo 2020.

Despite Tokyo 2020 being her Olympic debut, Carrier may be joined by several familiar faces, with her Nanjing 2014 Summer YOG Chef de Mission Susie O’Neill a deputy Chef de Mission for the Australian team and several YOG team-mates aspiring to achieve Tokyo 2020 selection.

The modern pentathlon competition at Tokyo 2020 will see 36 athletes per gender compete in fencing, swimming, showjumping, and the final combined run and laser shoot at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza and Tokyo Stadium.

The fencing ranking round for men and women is due to take place on August 6 at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, before the women’s competition is held on August 7 and the men’s medals decided on August 8 at Tokyo Stadium.

This will be the first Olympic Games where all five disciplines will be contested in one arena.