News Archive, Category: Olympic & Paralympic

A picture of Paris 2024 medallists (from left) Dimitri Coutya, Kieran Bird, Becky Wilde, Dan Bethell and Piers Gilliver attending an Olympic and Paralympic homecoming celebration at the University of Bath in November 2024.

Paris 2024 Olympians and Paralympians are celebrated during special homecoming reception at University of Bath

18 November 2024

Five Paris 2024 medallists were among the Olympians and Paralympians whose achievements were celebrated at a special homecoming reception at the University of Bath. The athletes all train, study or studied at the University, one of the country’s leading institutions for high-performance sport, and were joined at the gathering by staff, coaches and civic representatives from Bath and Somerset. Double Paralympic Champion Dimitri Coutya (wheelchair fencing) and Olympic gold-medallist Kieran Bird (swimming) were in attendance...

Izzy Thorpe and University of Bath sporting scholar Kate Shortman have been selected to represent Team GB in artistic swimming at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. CREDIT: Team GB

Sporting scholar Kate Shortman’s groundbreaking year of artistic swimming success recognised at The Aquatics GB Awards 2024

16 November 2024

Another historic year for University of Bath sporting scholar Kate Shortman and partner Izzy Thorpe was recognised when they once again shared the Artistic Swimming Athlete of the Year honour at The Aquatics GB Awards 2024. Bill Whiteley Scholar Shortman, who studies International Management and Modern Languages (French), and Thorpe claimed Britain's first-ever Olympic and World Championship medals in the duet events during an incredible year. The stunning artistic swimming achievements of Shortman and Thorpe...

A picture of Sally Munday, CEO of UK Sport, giving a speech at the Team Bath Sports Training Village in April 2024.

Increased Government funding in Olympic and Paralympic sports during the LA 2028 cycle is welcomed by UK Sport and partners

02 November 2024

The Government’s commitment to a £344million investment into Olympic and Paralympic sports over the next four-year cycle, announced in this week's Budget, has been welcomed by UK Sport and its partners, including the University of Bath. It is the equivalent of an extra £9 million a year on Paris-cycle funding levels and Sally Munday, CEO of UK Sport (pictured), said: “We are confident that the amount announced, alongside the excellent support provided by The National...

A picture of four student-athletes - Tom Doughty, Jenny Hesketh, Sophie Kelly and Leah Crisp - speaking to donors during a Sporting Scholarship celebration at Rengen House on 16th October 2024

Rengen House hosts celebration of sporting scholarships as University of Bath seeks to support more student-athletes

01 November 2024

After a stunning summer of success for University of Bath sporting scholars, past and present beneficiaries of the programme joined current and prospective donors for a special celebration event at Rengen House. Four of the six medals won by University-associated athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games went to student-athletes who have been supported in their dual careers by scholarships – Tom Dean (swimming, gold, Bill Whiteley Scholarship), Prisca Awiti-Alcaraz (judo, silver, King Scholarship), Kate...

Paris 2024 Olympians and Paralympians (clockwise from top left) Dan Bethell, Ridhwan Mohamed, Henrique Mascarenhas, Michael Taylor, Joe Choong, Becky Wilde, Tim Nurse, Charlie Brown, Leah Crisp and Freya Anderson were guests of honour at The Rec when Bath Rugby hosted Northampton Saints in the opening match of the 2024-25 Gallagher Premiership. Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images

Bath Rugby celebrate University-based Paris 2024 Olympians and Paralympians at 2024-25 Gallagher Premiership season opener

21 September 2024

Paris 2024 Olympians and Paralympians who train, study or studied at the University of Bath were guests of honour when Bath Rugby beat Northampton Saints 38-16 in the opening match of the 2024-25 Gallagher Premiership. Becky Wilde, who won rowing bronze on her Olympic debut, and para-badminton silver-medallist Dan Bethell, a lifelong Bath Rugby fan, took part in a half-time Q&A at The Rec along with modern pentathlete Charlie Brown, who studies Sports Management and...

(From left) Wheelchair fencers Oliver Lam-Watson, Piers Gilliver and Dimitri Coutya won bronze in the men's team epee competition at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. PICTURE CREDIT: imagecomms

Brilliant bronze in team epee provides fitting medal-winning climax to week to remember for wheelchair fencers in Paris

07 September 2024

Wheelchair fencers Dimitri Coutya, Piers Gilliver and Oliver Lam-Watson are returning from Paris to their Bath training base with 10 Paralympic medals between them following a week to remember in the Grand Palais. The trio concluded the Games by winning bronze in the men’s team epee competition on Saturday, beating Poland 45-28 in the medal decider to back up the silver medal they had won in Thursday’s team foil event. That meant Coutya, Gilliver and...

Wheelchair fencer Dimitri Coutya celebrates after winning Category B epee gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, his second title of the week. CREDIT: ParalympicsGB/Sam Mellish

Double delight for Dimitri Coutya as brilliant British wheelchair fencers win epee gold and silver in Grand Palais

06 September 2024

Dimitri Coutya reigned supreme once again in the Grand Palais tonight as the British wheelchair fencer claimed his second Paralympic gold of the week. Coutya backed up Wednesday’s foil success by beating Thailand’s Visit Kingmanaw 15-10 in the Category B epee final. Team-mate Piers Gilliver also reached his third successive Category A epee final but, having won gold in Tokyo, had to settle for silver on this occasion after a 15-12 defeat to China’s Gang...

Oliver Lam-Watson, Piers Gilliver and Dimitri Coutya celebrate after winning wheelchair fencing men's team foil silver at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. CREDIT: imagecomms

Wheelchair fencers Oliver Lam-Watson, Piers Gilliver and Dimitri Coutya team up to win foil silver for second successive Games in Paris

05 September 2024

The medal rush continued for Britain’s wheelchair fencers in the Grand Palais on Thursday as Dimitri Coutya, Piers Gilliver and Oliver Lam-Watson won men’s team foil silver. It was a repeat of the trio’s achievement in Tokyo, with China – featuring three individual foil medallists – once again proving just too strong in the final The Bath-based Brits put up a fantastic fight, though, and led 20-15 after the first four rounds. China turned things...

Wheelchair fencer Dimitri Coutya celebrates after winning Category B foil gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. CREDIT: imagecomms

Foil flourish ensures wheelchair fencer Dimitri Coutya completes his title collection after glorious golden day in Paris

04 September 2024

Dimitri Coutya secured the only wheelchair fencing title missing from his stellar CV as he magnificently won Category B foil Paralympic gold in Paris on Wednesday. The multiple World and European Champion, who won one silver and three bronze medals in Tokyo three years ago, was determined to end his wait for the biggest prize of all and produced three outstanding performances to fulfil his ambition. Bath-based Coutya, as top seed, was given a bye...

Wheelchair fencer Piers Gilliver (right) in the final of the Category A sabre competition at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where he won silver. CREDIT: imagecomms

Sabre silver takes Piers Gilliver’s career medal tally to five at start of busy week of wheelchair fencing in Grand Palais

04 September 2024

Wheelchair fencer Piers Gilliver won the fifth medal of his glittering Paralympics career to date when he secured Category A sabre silver in the stunning surroundings of the Grand Palais on Tuesday. It was a first Paralympic medal with the weapon for Gilliver - whose previous medals in Rio and Tokyo had come in the epee individual, and epee and foil team events - and was the perfect start to his campaign for four podium...

Sponsors
Partners and Suppliers