European pentathletes wowed by University and crowds as home teams finish fourth

Germany and Ukraine struck team relay gold at the Modern Pentathlon European Championships on Wednesday – and the University of Bath was also placed on top of the podium. Athletes from across the continent have been full of praise for both the facilities at the £30million Sports Training Village and the spectators who have turned out in all weathers to provide vocal support. After glorious sunshine for Tuesday’s mixed team relay, won by Italy, the...

19 August 2015

Italy provide golden start to European Championships at University of Bath

There was a good turnout of spectators at the University of Bath on Tuesday to see Italy win the first gold medal of the 2015 Modern Pentathlon European Championships. Eighteen athletes from nine countries took part in the opening event, the mixed team relay, and received vocal backing throughout the five disciplines of swimming, fencing, riding, running and shooting – all of which took place at the Sports Training Village. There was a loud cheer...

18 August 2015

Chelsea Lewis to join Team Bath Netball after Wales World Cup heroics

Wales World Cup goal-shooter Chelsea Lewis is to join Team Bath Netball for the 2016 Superleague season. The 21-year-old is rated as one of the best young attacking talents in the game and already has 50 international caps, having made her debut at the age of 16. She marked her half-century of appearances by scoring 32 goals during a convincing 64-41 win over Uganda on Sunday which saw Wales seal seventh place overall at the...

18 August 2015

Superleague captain Asha Francis to coach next generation of Team Bath Netball players

Superleague captain Asha Francis is to take up a coaching role with Team Bath Netball, helping the successful franchise develop the next generation of players. Francis – who has played internationally for both England and Singapore – will coach Team Bath Toucans in National Premier League 1 next season. Toucans is one of the performance teams based at the University of Bath which underpins the elite Superleague side. It is primarily made up of students...

18 August 2015

New kind of jumps on athletics field as University gets set for European Championships

The University of Bath’s Sports Training Village has undergone a dramatic transformation as the final preparations are put in place for this week’s Modern Pentathlon European Championships. Most eye-catching of all is the installation of a show-jumping arena in the in-field of the athletics track, complete with temporary stables, ready to host the iconic and challenging ride section of the five-discipline sport. A laser-shooting range has also been fitted on the athletics field, while the...

17 August 2015

Pentathlon GB’s Jan Bartu inducted into Team Bath Hall of Fame for Sport

On the eve of the Modern Pentathlon European Championships at the University of Bath, Pentathlon GB’s long-serving National Performance Director Jan Bartu has been inducted into the Team Bath Hall of Fame for Sport. Bartu established the National Training Centre at the University of Bath in 1998, implementing the Performance Pathway System which has seen modern pentathlon become one of Britain’s most successful Olympic sports. Under his guidance, medals have been won at each of...

17 August 2015

Team Bath’s Stacey Francis wins Netball World Cup bronze with England

Team Bath Netball’s Stacey Francis says she is “super thankful” after winning a bronze medal with England at the Netball World Cup in Australia. An excellent 66-44 victory over Jamaica in Sunday’s third-place play-off ensured the Roses – including seven former Team Bath players – bagged bronze for the second successive world championships. Francis, who recovered from a knee injury to take her place in the squad, said on Instagram: “It’s been a mental few...

17 August 2015

University of Bath’s proud history of hosting modern pentathlon – both training and competition

This week’s eagerly-awaited European Championships will be the fourth international modern pentathlon competition to be staged at the University of Bath – the proud long-term home of Pentathlon GB. The sport’s National Training Centre was established at the University in 1998, with a host of pentathletes going on to enjoy both sporting and academic success. Five Olympic medallists have come through the Performance Pathway System during the past 17 years, starting with Dr Stephanie Cook...

16 August 2015

World Junior Champ Francesca Summers ready for senior European stage

Newly-crowned World Junior Champion Francesca Summers will have another chance to test herself on the senior stage next week when she competes in the Modern Pentathlon European Championships at the University of Bath. The 19-year-old warmed up for the Rio 2016 Olympic qualifying event in style by winning two golds at the World Junior Championships in Mexico City last week – the individual women’s title and the women’s relay with Mathematics student Eilidh Prise. She...

15 August 2015

England’s Netball World Cup dream ended by ruthless Silver Ferns

Costly mistakes from England saw them succumb to a 50-39 defeat at the hands of New Zealand in their Netball World Cup semi-final in Sydney on Saturday morning. The Silver Ferns were able to capitalise on numerous England failings in possession to secure their place in the final and send the Roses into a bronze medal play-off against Jamaica. Team Bath Netball’s Stacey Francis was an unused replacement during the semi-final, which saw England trail...

15 August 2015