Silver lining for Paul Blake at IPC World Athletics Championships in Doha

Paul Blake secured the sixth IPC Athletics World Championships medal of his career when he won T36 400m silver in Doha on Friday. The British men’s team captain, coached by Rob Ellchuk at the University of Bath, ran a season’s best time of 54.58 as he finished runner-up to defending champion Evgenii Shvetcov of Russia in the Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium. In humid and breezy conditions, Blake made a strong start but Shvetcov moved away and...

23 October 2015

World University medals and Rio 2016 qualification celebrated in latest Athlete of the Month awards

World University Games medallists Jay Lelliott and Alex Walker, and modern pentathletes Kate French and Joe Choong are the latest winners of the Team Bath athlete of the month awards. The awards, which are supported by REVO Eyewear and Ellis & Killpartrick, once again showcased the outstanding calibre of sporting talent at the University of Bath. Swimmer Lelliott and tennis player Walker took the July honours after representing both Britain and the University of Bath with distinction...

20 October 2015

Paul Blake to captain British Athletics team at IPC World Championships in Doha

University of Bath-based athlete Paul Blake says he is honoured and surprised to be named alongside Laura Sugar as the British Athletics team captains for the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha. Blake, coached by Rob Ellchuk at the Sports Training Village, will be bidding for a third successive world title when the championships take place in the Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium from October 22-31. And the 25-year-old, who also won two medals at the London...

20 October 2015

Nine Bath swimmers named in British Swimming’s performance squads ahead of Olympics

Three World Champions and two University of Bath students are among nine swimmers based at the Sports Training Village to be named in British Swimming’s 2016 performance squads. Sixty-six athletes across Podium (21) and Podium Potential (45) have been selected to the World Class Performance Programme for the 2015/16 season following an extensive selection procedure. Five members of British Swimming’s National Centre Bath training programme will receive Podium level support after being identified as having...

14 October 2015

European medals for Team Bath judoka in Glasgow, Lisbon and Reims

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...

12 October 2015

300 days to Rio 2016 as Olympic judo hopefuls face crunch continental competition

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...

10 October 2015

Quality and quantity as British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association announce 2015-16 squads

Britain’s biggest-ever bobsleigh squad was announced at the University of Bath this week. The skeleton team for the new season was also confirmed, with the two winter sports coming together this year under one organisation – the British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association. Both sets of athletes are based at the £30million Sports Training Village, where they use the world-class gym and the newly-improved outdoor push-track – the only one of its kind in the country....

08 October 2015

Team Bath Netball swoop for South Africa World Cup stars Karla Mostert and Lenize Potgieter

Two South Africans who played starring roles at the 2015 Netball World Cup have joined Team Bath Netball for the 2016 Vitality Superleague season. Karla Mostert (left), who plays at goal-defence or wing-defence, and goal-shooter Lenize Potgieter (right) join a squad already boosted by the return of England defender Eboni Beckford-Chambers and the arrival of Wales star Chelsea Lewis. Potgieter – who describes her move to Team Bath as “the chance of a lifetime” – and...

06 October 2015

Weightlifters Zoe Smith and Sonny Webster selected for IWF World Championships

Commonwealth champion Zoe Smith and University of Bath student Sonny Webster have been named in a nine-strong British Weight Lifting team for next month’s IWF World Championships in the United States. Smith, who won under-58kg gold at Glasgow 2014 and also competed at the London 2012 Olympic Games, does some of her training at the Sports Training Village. “It’s the first time in nearly 30 years the Championships have taken place in the USA so...

06 October 2015

Lizzy Yarnold, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning on Sportswomen of the Year shortlists

Skeleton World Champion Lizzy Yarnold has been named on the final shortlist for the prestigious main honour at the 2015 Sunday Times and Sky Sports Sportswomen of the Year Awards. Swimmer Siobhan-Marie O’Connor – who, like Yarnold, trains at the University of Bath – is in contention for the Young Sportswoman of the Year prize. And World, Olympic and European women's pair rowing champions Helen Glover and Heather Stanning - both of whom started their...

05 October 2015