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...
University of Bath-based wheelchair fencer Piers Gilliver won his fifth World Cup medal of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games qualifying campaign after another impressive display in Canada. Epee bronze in Laval maintained the 21-year-old’s ranking as number one in the world and all but wrapped up qualification for Rio with just two tournaments – the European and American Championships – to go. Gilliver, who went into his latest competition as the top seed, won all...
University of Bath graduate Alexandra Rickham says she “couldn’t be happier” after being named in the ParalympicsGB sailing squad for this summer’s Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. It will be a third appearance at the Games for Rickham and SKUD 18 partner Niki Birrell, who made their debuts at Beijing 2008 and won bronze at London 2012. Rickham is the first athlete with University of Bath connections to be officially selected for Rio 2016. “I couldn’t...
Qualification for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games is within touching distance for University of Bath-based wheelchair fencer Piers Gilliver after he won another IWAS World Cup medal in Hungary on Friday. Silver in the epee competition in Eger was the 21-year-old’s sixth medal of the Paralympic qualification period and cements his status as number one in the world with just four tournaments remaining before Rio. The top four fencers on May 31 will earn Paralympic...
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has named University of Bath-based wheelchair fencer Piers Gilliver among its ‘Ones to Watch’ athletes ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Gilliver is currently ranked as the number one epee fencer in the world after an excellent 2015 that saw him win two World Cup gold medals, two Grand Prix titles and silver at the IWAS World Championships. The 21-year-old is one of six wheelchair fencers picked out by...
University of Bath-based wheelchair fencer Piers Gilliver moved closer to Rio 2016 Paralympic Games qualification by winning epee bronze at the Sharjah World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. The 21-year-old’s latest international medal success – his fifth during the Rio qualification period – ensured he remains top of the ranking list going into 2016. Gilliver, whose lead coach is Baldip Sahota, won five of his six poule bouts in Sharjah to go into the...
Piers Gilliver continued his medal-laden year by winning silver at the 2015 Wheelchair Fencing World Championships in Eger, Hungary. And it was mighty close to gold for Gilliver, who began training full-time at the University of Bath this year, as he was edged out 15-14 by China’s Gang Sun in a thrilling A Category men’s epee final. Sun took the sole automatic qualifying place available for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games but Gilliver is well...
