From 4 West to the Maracana – The incredible tale of University of Bath student-athletes heading to the Rio Olympic Games

Qualifying for an Olympic Games is unquestionably an outstanding achievement. Only a handful of the world’s most talented athletes will ever have the privilege of representing their country at the biggest sporting event on the planet. So to do so while being in the middle of a full-time University degree course is an almost incomprehensible accomplishment. But that’s exactly what modern pentathlete Joe Choong accomplished after the University of Bath Mathematics student was announced in the Pentathlon...

30 June 2016

Graduation one day, Rio 2016 selection the next for weightlifter Sonny Webster

Weightlifter Sonny Webster has today been selected by Team GB for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games - just 24 hours after graduating from the University of Bath. Webster, who completed his three-year Sports Performance course this summer, will make his Olympic debut in the men’s 94kg division after being crowned as British Champion in that weight category earlier this month. The 22-year-old is one of only two weightlifters in the Team GB squad and will be joined in Rio by Rebekah...

29 June 2016

Junior Wimbledon wildcard delight for Team Bath MCTA Tennis ace Eden Richardson

Rising Team Bath MCTA Tennis star Eden Richardson has been handed a wildcard into the main girls’ singles draw at Junior Wimbledon. And she could be joined at SW19 by Megan Davies, who will be looking to build on some impressive recent results when she competes in the qualifying tournament on Thursday and Friday. Richardson, a 17-year-old Ralph Allen School pupil, missed out on a singles place in the qualifying stages last year but did...

29 June 2016

PICTURE GALLERY: Record crowds enjoy Rio-themed Family Fun Day

Nearly 2,000 people of all ages got into the Rio spirit on Saturday when they enjoyed a wide range of sports and activities during an Olympic-themed Family Fun Day at the University of Bath Sports Training Village. Free have-a-go sessions in athletics, badminton, fencing, martial arts, tennis and trampolining proved to be massively popular, as did the chance to experience life as a performance athlete through health and speed testing. Children collected stars as they...

28 June 2016

Bristol City and Partick Thistle kick off pre-season preparations at Sports Training Village

Football League Championship club Bristol City and Scottish Premiership outfit Partick Thistle are using the University of Bath Sports Training Village this week to begin their preparations for the 2016/17 season. City’s first-team squad are taking part in ‘pre pre-season’ testing, where staff from the Team Bath Physio & Sports Science Centre help the Robins’ coaches assess the players’ fitness after the summer break. As well as cycling, sprint and physiological tests, City’s players have...

28 June 2016

Wheelchair tennis ace Louise Hunt set for second Paralympic Games after Rio 2016 selection

Wheelchair tennis player Louise Hunt has become the latest University of Bath graduate to be officially selected by ParalympicsGB for the Rio 2016 Games. Hunt, who studied Sports Performance, was one of ten players named during an announcement on Tuesday morning at New Palace Yard under Big Ben in the Houses of Parliament. A winner of multiple titles at ITF2 level competition, Hunt has also won several medals for Great Britain at the annual World...

28 June 2016

Quartet strike gold as University of Bath-based athletes book Rio 2016 spots

Hurdlers Andrew Pozzi and Eilidh Doyle were among the University of Bath-based athletes who booked their place at the Rio 2016 Olympic Trials with medal-winning performances at the British Championships in Birmingham. Emily Diamond and Jazmin Sawyers, who also train at the Sports Training Village (STV), secured their coveted Team GB spots by winning gold, while University of Bath graduates Lawrence Clarke and Danny Talbot claimed the top-two places they needed for qualification. All six have also been named...

27 June 2016

Wonderful Roehampton wins boost tennis duo’s chances of playing at Junior Wimbledon

Talented teenage Team Bath MCTA Tennis players Megan Davies and Eden Richardson have boosted their chances of a Junior Wimbledon wildcard entry by beating players in the world’s top 50 over the weekend. Both are in action at the Nike Junior International in Roehampton, where Davies recorded an excellent 6-2 7-5 victory over Paraguay’s Lara Escauriza in the first round. She faces Iga Swiatek of Poland in the last 32. Richardson, fresh from her outstanding...

27 June 2016

Former University of Bath sport stars Heather Olver and Vicky Thornley selected for Rio 2016

Badminton player Heather Olver and rower Vicky Thornley have become the latest athletes with University of Bath connections to be selected by Team GB for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Olver (pictured left), who studied Coach Education and Sports Development at the University, will continue her successful women’s doubles partnership with Lauren Smith in Rio after being named in an eight-strong badminton squad. A three-time silver-medallist at the Commonwealth Games, Olver was coached by Peter...

27 June 2016

26 half-marathons down – 26 to go! Team Bath S&C coach Bob Smith reaches halfway point of charity marathon journey

Most of us mere mortals find the prospect of a single half-marathon a relatively daunting experience. The same can't be said of Team Bath Strength and Conditioning Coach Bob Smith who, on Sunday, ran his 26th such distance in as many weeks. In January, Bob ran the first of 52 half-marathons planned for 2016 in aid of the Wallace & Gromit Grand Appeal at Bristol Children’s Hospital who provided care for his daughter Autumn when she was taken...

23 June 2016