Paralympic gold-medallists hail new Bath-designed SwordSeat which makes wheelchair fencing affordable and accessible to more people

Wheelchair fencing Paralympic gold-medallists Dimitri Coutya and Piers Gilliver have described an innovative wooden-frame training chair, designed by engineers at the University of Bath in collaboration with British Fencing, as a gamechanger for their sport. The SwordSeat™ – a simple six-piece slot-together design which can be built using minimal tools for around £150 worth of plywood – aims to make wheelchair fencing affordable and accessible to many more clubs and participants. It received its official...

08 January 2025

Historic bobsleigh gold follows more skeleton success as Bath-based sliders make World Cup winning start to 2025

It was a golden start to 2025 for the University of Bath-based British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association as their athletes enjoyed double delight at the IBSF World Cup in Winterberg, Germany. Brad Hall, Taylor Lawrence, Arran Gulliver and Greg Cackett made history on Sunday, becoming the first non-German team to win four-man bobsleigh gold at Winterberg in 13 years. The Brits were fastest on both runs as they clocked a combined time of 1:48.07 to...

06 January 2025

Double wheelchair fencing Paralympic gold-medallist Dimitri Coutya awarded MBE in New Year Honours 2025

Double Paralympic Champion Dimitri Coutya, who trains at the University of Bath, has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours 2025 for his services to fencing. The wheelchair fencer enjoyed an outstanding Paris 2024 Paralympic Games which saw him win gold in both the Category B foil and epee, as well as silver and bronze in the team events with Piers Gilliver and Oliver Lam-Watson. [caption id="attachment_71316" align="alignright" width="292"] David McNulty received his...

31 December 2024

University of Bath Student Performance Netball programme partners with leading match ball suppliers Rhino

The University of Bath student netball club, one of the strongest university set-ups in the UK, has agreed a new partnership with match-ball suppliers Rhino.  All squads will use Rhino’s Vortex Pro match ball and the club will also play a key advisory role in the development of future netballs. Anya Le Monnier, University Performance Netball Head Coach at the University of Bath, said: “We are really excited to be partnering with Rhino, they have...

21 December 2024

Paris pride, historic international achievements, emotional reunions and big gym investment among highlights of incredible sporting 2024

Olympic and Paralympic success in Paris is just one of the highlights of a truly monumental year of sport at the University of Bath. World Cup victories, European crowns, groundbreaking international debuts, emotional reunions, national accolades, innovative new partnerships and an extensive gym refurbishment are also among the many high points from an action-packed 2024. In total athletes brought 93 senior international medals back to their Team Bath training base, 17 of which were secured...

20 December 2024

Former World and European Champion returning to Bath as Pentathlon GB appoint new Head of Performance and CEO

Double Olympian Jamie Cooke, who became World and European modern pentathlon champion while training at the University of Bath, is returning to Pentathlon GB as its new Head of Performance. Will Brown is also joining the National Governing Body as Chief Executive Officer at the start of the LA 2028 Olympic cycle and a new era for the sport as it transitions from horse riding to obstacle course racing (OCR). Cooke, who competed at Rio...

19 December 2024

Three University of Bath sporting scholars, including Team Bath NXT Gen star, named in England Netball U21 squad for Australia tour

Team Bath Netball duo Alanna Pullen and Phoebe Maslen have been named in a 16-strong England U21 squad that will tour Australia in the new year. Former Blue & Gold stars Sophie Kelly and Jayda Pechova – who, like Pullen, are University of Bath student-athletes and supported by sporting scholarships – are also in an exciting squad that will face the host nation and New Zealand during a tournament taking place in Canberra from 17-23...

18 December 2024

Fantastic three medals for Team Bath athletes at 2024 British Judo Championships

Team Bath judoka won three medals following some fantastic performances at the 2024 British Judo Championships in Coventry. Roxy Proctor fought superbly to reach the women’s -63kg final where she faced Team GB Olympian Lucy Renshall. The Team Bath judoka continued to impress as she took the former world number one to golden score before narrowly losing out by three shidos (penalties) to one. Sidney Tancock and Chemistry for Drug Discovery student Anika Rabi both...

17 December 2024

Freya Anderson anchors GB to World Championships silver as University of Bath swimmers enjoy busy month of short-course racing

Freya Anderson added to her international medal collection when the University of Bath-based swimming star anchored Aquatics GB to women’s 4x100m medley relay silver at the 2024 World Aquatics Short Course Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The Bath Performance Centre swimmer (pictured top, right) dived in for the freestyle leg in third place after strong swims from team-mates Abbie Wood, Angharad Evans and Eva Okaro. She then clawed back China in the closing stages to touch...

16 December 2024

First bobsleigh medals on the board as Brad Hall and Taylor Lawrence secure terrific two-man silver for GB at Sigulda World Cup

Brad Hall and Taylor Lawrence bagged University of Bath-based British Bobsleigh’s first medal of the IBSF World Cup season when they won silver in Sigulda on Sunday. It was the team’s first two-man medal since January 2023 and came eight days after the duo had finished fourth in the season opener in Altenberg. Hall and Greg Cackett were also just off the podium in the first race of a double-header weekend in Sigulda. “It’s great...

15 December 2024