Para fencing stars Dimitri Coutya and Piers Gilliver inducted into University of Bath Hall of Fame for Sport
Paralympic gold-medallists Dimitri Coutya and Piers Gilliver, two trailblazers for para fencing both in Britain and globally, are the latest inductees into the University of Bath Hall of Fame for Sport.
The duo were the first athletes to join a full-time funded training programme for the sport, based at the University since it was established in 2015, and they have gone on to win more than 200 international medals between them during a decade of phenomenal consistency.
Their combined haul includes an astonishing 16 Paralympic medals, three of them gold; six World Championship crowns; and 18 European Championship titles, along with dozens of World Cup podium places.
Coutya and Gilliver’s impact can also be measured in the growth of para fencing in Britain, with the increased investment and profile that followed their inspirational successes leading to the establishment of a world-leading Para Fencing National Training Centre at the University’s Sports Training Village (STV).
Eight athletes are now supported on the full-time British Fencing para programme and the duo’s training partners, coaches and support staff were among an appreciative audience for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the STV.
“A great honour”
Gilliver, who became Britain’s first wheelchair fencing Paralympic Champion for 33 years when he won Category A epee gold at Tokyo 2020, said: “I would just like to say a huge thank you for this recognition, it really is a great honour to be in this Hall of Fame with so many great names.
“I’ve been at the University for more than a decade now. The programme and squad have gone from strength to strength in that time and so has the support from the University. We couldn’t have done what we have without that backing.”
Reigning double Paralympic Champion Coutya, who competes in Category B events, said: “The culture that the University of Bath provides us as elite athletes is second to none. The exposure that I’ve had to other programmes and sports, the different ways of high-performance thinking, has played a huge part in shaping the success I’ve been fortunate to enjoy. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of that journey.
“I would like to give a special shout-out to Piers as well. I learnt a lot about what it takes to dig deep and win from him. Everything that has been said today about him being a pioneer for our sport is 100 per cent true.”
“Two incredibly worthy recipients”
Gilliver and Coutya, friends since they started in the sport around 2010, were cheered on by family and friends at the induction, as well as Team Bath staff and other members of the high-performance sporting community at the University, a UK Sport-accredited Elite Training Centre.
The official inductions were made by Professor Phil Taylor, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bath, who said: “It is a great honour to welcome Piers and Dimitri into the Hall of Fame for Sport. They are two incredibly worthy recipients.
“Their achievements at the very highest level speak for themselves, but the Hall of Fame celebrates more than success, it celebrates the all-round contribution made by an individual to the University and its sporting community.
“Piers and Dimitri are hugely liked and respected by their peers, with their total commitment to training and pursuit of perfection an inspiration across all sports. Humble, approachable and generous with their time, they are also big supporters of the University and never more so than when helping to launch the SwordSeat, an innovative wooden-frame training chair designed by our engineers with input from the para fencers who train here.
“Congratulations Piers and Dimitri. We look forward to seeing you add to your incredible rolls of honour in the run-up to LA 2028 and beyond.”
Chris Price, Head of Paralympic Performance for British Fencing, said: “On behalf of the President, CEO and Board of British Fencing, as well as the wider fencing community, I would like to offer our warmest congratulations to Dimitri and Piers, two exceptional athletes.
“There is something special about recognising them together. They have been team-mates, training partners and each other’s biggest critics for many years, and they provide a powerful example to the next generation of British fencers, across Paralympic and Olympic disciplines, of what can be achieved through ambition, hard work and the right support.”
There are now 36 inductees into the University of Bath Hall of Fame for Sport, with Coutya and Gilliver joining fellow Paralympic Champions Paul Blake (athletics), Sascha Kindred and Stephanie Millward (both swimming).
Go to teambath.com/HallOfFame to find out more and visit teambath.com/fencing for further details about the para fencing programme at the University of Bath.
