World University Games

The 2019 World University Games took place in Naples, Italy, from July 3-14 and the University of Bath was once again represented by both students and staff at the world’s second-biggest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.

Sport & Social Science student Jenny Nesbitt, a Trendell Sporting Scholar, competed in the 10,000m at a second successive Games and finished a fine eighth overall in swelteringly hot conditions, clocking 34:27.50.

Dual Career swimmer Filippos Iakovidis, a Sport & Exercise Science student coached by Mark Skimming, represented his native Cyprus in the pool. He clocked 58.80 in his 100m backstroke heat and 26.91 for second place in his 50m backstroke heat.

Click here to read more about Jenny and Filippos’s selections.

Barry Scollo, Director of Tennis at Team Bath, was once again named as Team Leader for the Great Britain tennis squad. “I feel so proud to be leading this year’s team out to Italy,” he said. “This is the first time the Games have been held in Europe for a number of years and the team have a very unique opportunity to compete at a tennis tournament unlike any other they would have previously – at the biggest international multi-sport event outside the Olympics.”

Katy Williams, a Team Bath physiotherapist, successfully completed a gruelling selection process to be part of the medical team supporting the BUCS [British Universities & Colleges Sport] squad in Napoli. It is her second experience of the World University Games, having worked with the GB women’s football team that won gold in Kazan, Russia in 2013. This time she worked predominantly with water polo and table tennis but also covered BUCS HQ, working with athletics and swimming.

A total of 5971 athletes from 112 countries competed in 222 events across 18 sports in Napoli.

Previous Games

Find out how University of Bath students fared at Gwangju 2015 and Taipei 2017 by clicking on the links.