BMag-2012 - University of Birmingham

Training hard: The Jamaican Track and Field team were based
on campus in the run-up to the games
Still breathless after sweeping the board in
the 200-metre sprint, Jamaican runner Usain
Bolt and his team-mates took time out to
personally thank Birmingham for its role
in their Olympic success.
Being interviewed after Jamaica took all three
medals in the event, gold medallist Bolt said:
‘I’d like to say all the big up to Birmingham,
the University. That’s where we trained,
they really supported us. We got everything
possible. We got indoor facilities, the gym
and everything so for me it’s an honour.
Thank you guys for everything you have
done for me really. Thank you.’
A total of five Birmingham alumni achieved
selection for Team GB at the London 2012
Olympic Games, all performing in front of
capacity crowds.
The 2011 World athletics silver medallist
Hannah England (BSc Biochemistry, 2009)
had a tough summer after suffering an
Achilles injury earlier in the year. She showed
determination to not only achieve selection
but went on to qualify for the semi-final of the
women’s 1,500m, where she finished 9th.
Elsewhere in the Olympic stadium, Louise
Hazel (BA French Studies, 2008), finished
a credible 27th on her Olympic debut in the
Heptathlon. Louise threw a huge personal
best in the javelin during the second day of
competition to cement a solid performance.
First gold: SportEx student Pippa Woolven made
history by becoming the first athlete to win a gold
medal at the Olympic Stadium during the British
Universities and Colleges Sport Visa Outdoor
Athletics Championships in May
Olympic legends give
thanks to Birmingham
From helping the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, make history
to boasting Gamesmakers and Paralympians among our students
and alumni, Birmingham struck gold at London 2012.
With the GB men’s hockey team, goalkeeper
James Fair finished second in group A
and reached the semi-finals, losing to the
Netherlands. The team then narrowly missed
out on the bronze medal to world number
one team, Australia.
Finishing 5th in the final of the women’s 8
competition, rower Lindsey Maguire (BSc
Mathematics and Psychology, 2002) and
the rest of her team performed outstandingly.
Competing at her third Olympics archer
Naomi Folkard (BA Music 2005) narrowly
missed out on a place in the last 16 of the
Women’s individual archery event, losing
to 10th seed Mariana Avitia of Mexico.
As the Birmingham Magazine went to press,
five alumni and one current student were
due to compete in the Paralympics.
Best of luck to:
n Tom Hall-Butcher – Wheelchair Fencing
(Maths and Sports Science)
n Dean Miller – Athletics (BA Sport, Physical
Education and Coaching Sciences, 2011)
n Lora Turnham – Cycling
(BSc Physiotherapy, 2010)
n Pamela Relph – Rowing
(BSc Physics, 2011)
n Anna Tipton – Goalball
(BSc Physiotherapy, 2009)
n Michael Sharkey – Goalball
(BSc Physiotherapy, 2007)
The Birmingham Magazine 29
Alumna archer: Naomi Folkard competed at London 2012
Behind the scenes
Whether it was coaching the Bermudan
swimming team, producing victory
ceremonies or volunteering as
Gamesmakers, our alumni contributed
to London 2012 in all manner of ways.
For details, visit www.birmingham.ac.uk/
alumni/news
Stay in touch with
UBSport
To keep in touch with former team-mates
and be the first to know about opportunities
to come back onto campus, join the
UBSport alumni club. Within UBSport
alumni club are four Friends of UBSport
groups dedicated to engaging specifically
with their club alumni: Athletics, Hockey,
Korfball, and Swimming.
Keep in touch
n www.sport.bham.ac.uk/alumni
n www.facebook.com/UBSportalumni
n LinkedIn: Search for University
of Birmingham Sport
n www.twitter.com/UBSport