Rio 2016 qualification is almost signed and sealed for Team Bath Judo’s Ben Fletcher

Team Bath Judo’s Ben Fletcher will find out for certain in the next two weeks whether he has qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Fletcher wasn’t able to reproduce the form he had shown while finishing a career-high seventh in Azerbaijan the previous week as he was beaten by home judoka Viktor Demyanenko in the first round of the men’s -100kg competition at the Almaty Grand Prix in Kazakhstan. But despite the setback, Fletcher...

16 May 2016

Star Team Bath defender Samantha Cook helps England retain Netball Europe crown

Team Bath Netball’s Samantha Cook played a starring role as England retained the Netball Europe Open Championship title with wins against the other home nations over the weekend. The defender, who enjoyed a strong finish to the Vitality Netball Superleague season after returning from injury, came off the bench to help England to an 83-32 victory over Northern Ireland in the opening match. Cook then started the remaining two games and produced some outstanding intercepts...

16 May 2016

Spanish success for Paul Blake as Rio 2016 Paralympics countdown continues

University of Bath-based athlete Paul Blake continued his preparations for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games by producing an impressive win in Spain over the weekend. The triple World Champion, making his second international appearance of the season, clocked 54.98 to take victory in the T36 400m at the XI International Meeting Kern Pharma Grand Prix in Sauleda. Blake is coached by Rob Ellchuk at the Sports Training Village. University of Bath Business Masters graduate Lawrence...

16 May 2016

Silver medal for pentathlete Georgia Pipes at Milan Kadlec Memorial event

University of Bath Sociology student Georgia Pipes produced a great all-round performance to finish second at the Milan Kadlec Memorial modern pentathlon competition in the Czech Republic on Saturday. Defending champion Pipes was in the top two and led after producing the fastest swim of the day by two clear seconds but eventually had to settle for the runners-up spot behind France’s Pulcherie Delhalle. Georgina Summers was in contention to win a second medal for...

16 May 2016

Familiar faces named in ParalympicsGB swimming squad for Rio 2016 Games

Former Team Bath swimmer Sascha Kindred will compete at his sixth Paralympic Games after being named in a 31-strong ParalympicsGB squad for Rio 2016. Kindred (pictured) won two gold medals, plus a silver and bronze, at the Sydney 2000 Games while based at the Sports Training Village. That was his second Paralympics, having made his debut at Atlanta 1996, and he has won six titles in total during the past 20 years. Also heading to...

16 May 2016

Team Bath Netball end season of Superleague progress on a thrilling high

Head Coach Anna Stembridge says she is feeling "really proud" after Team Bath Netball finished the 2016 Vitality Netball Superleague season on a memorable note. A pulsating 49-48 success against Hertfordshire Mavericks in front of an enthralled crowd at the Copper Box Arena in London ensured Team Bath finished an encouraging season in third place overall. “We went into the season with a group of retained athletes, new athletes and young athletes so we are very...

10 May 2016

China chance for scholar Alex Lane after first Badminton England senior selection

University of Bath sporting scholar Alex Lane is celebrating his first senior international call-up after being named in the Badminton England squad for next month’s Thomas Cup in China. The competition – also known as the World Men’s Team Championship – is regarded as the biggest badminton event outside of an Olympic Games and features the world’s leading players. Host nation China has won the title nine times, a record only bettered by Indonesia, and...

10 May 2016

Excellence in education puts Team Bath through to national final of British Tennis Awards

The University of Bath is through to the national final of the Lawn Tennis Association’s Aegon British Tennis Awards after being named as Education Venue of the Year by the South West LTA. The honour – which follows on from success in the same category at the Avon LTA County awards – recognises the outstanding work of Team Bath Tennis coaches in enhancing the student experience at the University, as well as taking the sport into primary...

10 May 2016

Historic World Cup Final gold boosts Jamie Cooke’s Olympic pentathlon hopes

Pentathlon GB’s Jamie Cooke gave his chances of Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualification a significant boost when he became the first British man to win gold at the UIPM World Cup Final in Sarasota, Florida. It was the University of Bath-based athlete’s second international success in a month, following on from his World Cup victory in Kecskemét, Hungary. Biology graduate Freyja Prentice also claimed a top-six finish in the women’s competition in the United States...

09 May 2016

Best Grand Prix result keeps Team Bath judoka Ben Fletcher on course for Rio 2016

Team Bath Judo’s Ben Fletcher produced his best-ever Grand Prix result in Azerbaijan on Sunday to maintain his push for a Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualification place. World number ten Jose Armenteros was among the judoka Fletcher overcame on his way to a seventh-placed finish in the men’s -100kg weight category in Baku. Hungary’s Miklos Cirjenics was runner-up, moving him into the automatic qualification places for Rio, but Fletcher still holds one of two continental...

09 May 2016