Final French test for rugby sevens star Amy Wilson Hardy ahead of Rio 2016

University of Bath graduate Amy Wilson Hardy will be looking to help the England Women’s rugby sevens team complete their Olympic preparations in style when they compete in France this weekend. The final leg of the World Rugby HSBC Women’s Sevens Series will take place in Clermont-Ferrand on Saturday and Sunday, with England aiming to build on their Cup Final win at the last round in Canada. Wilson Hardy – an Integrated Mechanical and Electrical...

24 May 2016

Relay silver gets Pentathlon GB up and running at crucial World Championships

Samantha Murray and Joanna Muir gave Pentathlon GB an encouraging start to this week’s World Championships in Moscow, Russia as they won silver in the women’s relay competition. The British duo sat in the top three throughout and managed to overhaul a 32-second deficit going into the combined run-shoot to beat the host nation to second place behind a strong Germany combination featuring reigning individual World Champion Lena Schoneborn. Pentathlon GB Performance Director Jan Bartu...

23 May 2016

Back with a bang as hurdler Andrew Pozzi sets Rio 2016 Olympic standard

Andrew Pozzi ran well inside the Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualifying time as he led a University of Bath one-two in the 110m hurdles at Sunday’s Loughborough International. In his first outdoor race in Britain since the London 2012 Games, Pozzi scorched to a new personal best of 13.32 – comfortably quicker than the 13.47 he needed to be in contention for Rio selection. Pozzi – coached by Malcolm Arnold at the Sports Training Village...

23 May 2016

Golden finish to European Championships for University of Bath-based swimmers

Chris Walker-Hebborn and Siobhan-Marie O’Connor won their second relay gold medals of the week as University of Bath-based swimmers finished the LEN European Aquatics Championships on a high note. Jazz Carlin also claimed 400m freestyle silver as Britain, despite being in heavy training for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, finished the competition in London with an impressive 22 medals. The penultimate swim of the event saw O’Connor team up with Kathleen Dawson, Chloe Tutton and...

23 May 2016

Euro silver keeps Piers Gilliver on top of the world ahead of Rio 2016 Paralympics

University of Bath-based wheelchair fencer Piers Gilliver can begin preparing for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in earnest after finishing his qualification campaign ranked number one in the world. The 21-year-old won a silver medal at the IWAS European Championships in Torino, Italy on Thursday to confirm his status as the top epee fencer during the two-year qualification period. It was Gilliver’s ninth medal in 12 ranking competitions since September 2014 and his third podium...

20 May 2016

European silvers give swimmers a boost as they prepare for Rio 2016 Olympics

University of Bath-based swimmers Jazz Carlin and Siobhan-Marie O’Connor both won silver medals on another great night of competition at the LEN European Aquatics Championships in London. Both athletes are in heavy training for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games but still managed to produce impressive performances in the Aquatic Centre, with Carlin clocking 8:23.52 as she finished runner-up to Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas in the 800m freestyle. “I’m really happy with that,” said Carlin. “To come...

20 May 2016

BLOG: Return to Africa as students take part in Zambia IDEALS project for 11th year

University of Bath students are once again preparing to fly out to Africa to take part in the Zambia IDEALS project. It is the 11th summer that students from Bath have participated in the scheme, which sees them work in a sports development and coaching capacity at the heart of local communities in the Zambian capital of Lusaka. BSc Sports Performance student George Lavender took part last year and is returning to Zambia this summer as...

20 May 2016

Final chance to set Olympic standard as pentathletes head to World Championships

Pentathlon GB has selected nine University of Bath-based athletes, including two current students and six graduates, for next week’s World Championships – the last qualifying event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Samantha Murray, World Champion in 2014 and bronze-medallist in 2012, is named in the women’s team along with Kate French, Joanna Muir and Freyja Prentice. Jamie Cooke, fresh from winning a historic World Cup Final gold medal, is in the men’s team along...

19 May 2016

Siobhan-Marie O’Connor sets up second medal shot at European Aquatics Champs

Siobhan-Marie O’Connor will be competing for her second LEN European Aquatics Championships medal of the week on Thursday after qualifying second-fastest for the women’s 200m individual medley final. The University of Bath-based swimmer was runner-up to defending champion Katinka Hosszu of Hungary in the second of Wednesday’s semi-finals at the London Aquatics Centre. “I’m really happy with that,” said O’Connor, who won gold in the mixed 4x100m medley relay on Tuesday. “The time was similar...

19 May 2016

Pioneering Olympic modern pentathlon medallists inducted into Hall of Fame for Sport

The glorious past, exciting present and bright future of modern pentathlon was celebrated at the University of Bath on Wednesday when Dr Stephanie Cook and Kate Allenby were welcomed into the Hall of Fame for Sport. The current Pentathlon GB athletes training towards the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were among those watching as Sydney 2000 champion Cook and bronze-medallist Allenby were officially inducted by Professor Dame Glynis Breakwell, Vice-Chancellor of the University...

18 May 2016