From Team Bath Futures Academy to Team GB podium place for rising canoe sprint star Ed Nightingale
Team Bath Futures Academy athlete Ed Nightingale helped Team GB win their first-ever canoeing medals at a European Youth Olympic Festival when he represented his country with distinction in Gyor, Hungary.
The 15-year-old, from Trowbridge, teamed up with Enya Dale, Zoe Clark and Alex Greaves to claim third place in Sunday’s K4 200m final, having earlier knocked out the host nation in the semi-finals.
Nightingale also set a new personal best in the K1 200m and reached the B final of both the K2 200m and 500m with Greaves, finishing second and third respectively.
It continued an excellent summer for Nightingale, who is a long-standing member of the Team Bath Futures Academy – formerly known as the Talent Development Centre – whose objective is to maximise the potential of athletes aged 11-18 from the South West to progress to elite levels in sport.
As well as receiving lifestyle and psychology support, Futures athletes also have access to training sessions in the Team Bath Elite Gym and jumps & throws hall at the University of Bath Sports Training Village aimed at developing their speed, agility, strength and power.
Nightingale, who raced with fellow Futures Academy athlete Spencer Armstrong at the European Canoe Sprint Championships in Serbia last month, is also part of the British Canoeing England National Training Squad and is coached by Kevin Bowerbank in Melksham.
From September, training at the Team Bath Futures Academy will move to a three-term structure and include more workshops in areas such as nutrition and physiotherapy. There will also be regular testing days to track progress more closely and a ‘niggle clinic’ will be introduced to advise on the treatment of injuries.
Click here to apply and for more information about the Team Bath Futures Academy.
Thank you to Gyor 2017 for the picture of (from left) Alex Greaves, Ed Nightingale, Zoe Clark and Enya Dale with their K4 200m bronze medal at the 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival.
