Trio selected to swim for Team GB at Olympic Games
Swimmers Michael Jamieson, Stacey Tadd and Andrew Willis are the first University of Bath-based athletes to be named in the Great Britain team to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The trio will all make their Olympic debuts at London 2012 and won their places on the team with their performances at the British Championships, held at the London 2012 Aquatics Centre last week.
University of Bath students Michael Jamieson and Andrew Willis (pictured left) will contest the men’s 200m breaststroke at the Games, with Stacey Tadd going in the women’s 200m breaststroke.
Willis, who is studying for Chemical Engineering degree at the University of Bath, booked his place on the team in impressive style by setting the fastest time of the year for the 200m breaststroke.
He beat fellow British Gas Bath Intensive Training Centre (ITC) swimmer Jamieson into second place, with Kris Gilchrist, who also trains at Bath, coming home third.
“I knew it was going to be tight. Michael was getting close to me at the end, but I just went for it. I was excited and relieved when I won it,” said Willis. “Competing at a home Olympic Games is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It hasn’t really sunk in yet.
“We’ve got a week off now, but I think I’m going to get back in the gym,” he added. “Then I’ll be back to some really hard training in the pool and the gym.”
Jamieson, Tadd and Willis took part in an athletes’ parade of selected swimmers at the London Aquatics Centre on Saturday. “It was really surreal experience, I was on cloud nine,” said Willis.
Willis and Jamieson, who is studying Sports Performance at the University of Bath, are coached by David McNulty.
Tadd also impressed en route to her selection for 2012. The 23-year-old set a personal best to win the 200m breaststroke final and achieve the Olympic qualifying time.
It completed an impressive comeback for Tadd, who suffered a career-threatening knee injury in 2004. She needed operations in 2004 and 2008, and showed grit and determination to battle back and secure Olympic selection. Tadd is coached at the University of Bath by Mark Skimming.
The trio are the first University of Bath-based athletes to be selected to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Sailor Alexandra Rickham, a University of Bath Natural Sciences graduate, has already been named in the British SKUD 18 crew to compete at the 2012 Paralympic Games.
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The University of Bath is The Sunday Times University of the Year 2011/12.
