Talented student athletes from an array of different sports have been awarded University of Bath sporting scholarships. Among the 2015 scholars are medallists at British and World Championships, an England Hockey Cup winner and a rugby player who competed in this year’s Six Nations. University of Bath students with the potential to succeed both academically and in their chosen sport can apply for the scholarships, which are awarded each year. They are supported by alumni and...
There were two silvers and a bronze medal for Team Bath’s elite judoka to celebrate when the European Open took place in Scotland and Portugal at the weekend. Tom Reed reached the under-81kg final at the men’s event in Glasgow, while Ben Fletcher strengthened his grip on a Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualification place with bronze in the under-100kg division. And over at the women’s event in Lisbon, Megan Fletcher won a silver medal in...
It is exactly 300 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games get under way – and Team Bath’s elite judoka face a crucial competition as they bid to reach Brazil. Valuable qualification points for the Games are up for grabs at the European Judo Open, which takes place this weekend in Glasgow for men and Lisbon for women. Among those heading to Scotland is Ben Fletcher, pictured, who currently meets the qualification criteria for Rio...
Team Bath Judo Club’s Emmanuel Nartey has won a bronze medal while representing Ghana at the 2015 All-Africa Games in Brazzaville, Congo. Nartey, coached by Juergen Klinger at the University of Bath Sports Training Village, needed just 28 seconds to beat Tunisia’s Hamza Barhoumi by ippon in the fight for third place in the under-73kg category. The London 2012 Olympian had also started the competition with a quick-fire Pool C victory, against Gabon’s Pierre Ginvard...
Team Bath Judo's Ben Fletcher built on his first-ever Grand Prix medal in July by reaching the last-16 at the 2015 World Judo Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. Fletcher's progress, which was ended by eventual-finalist German Frey Karl-Richard, meant he has now earned enough qualification points to book a spot in the 'green zone' for Olympic qualifying - occupied by athletes who are in a direct qualification position. 23-year-old Fletcher, who trains under Juergen Klinger at...
Athletes, students, coaches and graduates at the University of Bath are excitedly counting down to Rio 2016, with just one year to go until the Olympic Games get under way. Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European medallists are among the many athletes from a wide range of sports aspiring to be Brazil-bound in 12 months’ time. Bringing home just how close the Games are is the fact that the University of Bath is staging a Rio...
Team Bath head judo coach Juergen Klinger has described his "delight" at being recognised as an integrated judo coach in the UK after receiving a 7. Dan rank. German Klinger has been at the University of Bath since 2006 and received the award at the British Judo Open last weekend. Speaking of the award, Klinger said: "I'm delighted to receive the 7. Dan. It is a rank not awarded by assessment so you must be...
There was an all Team Bath final at the 2015 British Judo Open, which took place in the SSE Arena, Wembley over the weekend. Gemma Howell and Megan Fletcher usually fight in different weight categories but both were entered in the -70kg competition this time. And both progressed to the final, where they produced – in the words of coach Juergen Klinger – “a fantastic fight, very open and very fast”. It went all the...
Team Bath Judo Club’s Ben Fletcher said he “couldn’t be happier” after winning his first-ever Grand Prix medal in Mongolia. Fletcher, coached by Juergen Klinger at the Sports Training Village, also secured 120 Olympic qualification points to boost his hopes of reaching Rio 2016. “My first-ever Grand Prix medal – a really good day and performance,” he tweeted. “Couldn’t be happier.” And there was a gold medal for University of Bath graduate Gemma Gibbons who...
Team Bath Judo Club coach Juergen Klinger rued the “tactical mistakes” which contributed to early exits for Megan Fletcher, Ben Fletcher and Gemma Howell at the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan. All three were in good positions in the fights they lost but went on to endure frustrating defeats. Commonwealth champion Megan Fletcher was up against Poland's Katarzyna Klys in their -70kg round-of-32 contest but lost out following a pair of yukos. “Megan got thrown...
