Successful year for top athletes

Our athletes have tasted sporting success on a national level during the 2007-2008 academic year.

We run an Elite Athlete Bursary Scheme to support our top athletes and they have repaid the faith shown in them with a clutch of medals, titles and achievements.

Men's athletics at Teesside was given a major boost at the British University Championships, with our athletes winning four medals and finishing fifth overall.

Lloyd Powell, a BSc (Hons) Software Engineering student, won gold in the high jump and Ade Babatunde took bronze in the triple jump. On the track Athletic Union Sportsman of the Year Ricky Stevenson, a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise (Applied Sport Science) student, and his team mate Jonathan Tayler, who is studying BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise (Applied Sport Science), both made the 3,000-metre final, with Ricky taking the gold and Jonathon scooping bronze.

Ricky continued his success at a training camp with Dame Kelly Holmes when he won the race final at Loughborough University.

And at the BUSA outdoor championships in Bedford it was Jonathon who took the gold medal - this time in the 1,500-metre race. The men's team finished equal 10th overall.

Fighting spirit Karate expert Qaasim Hussain, a BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering student, reached the final of the individual 60kg Kumite after securing the English title the week before. He came up against the Welsh champion in the gold medal fight and narrowly missed out on victory.

Qaasim responded to defeat in the best possible way by winning the Irish Open shortly after and he is preparing for the British Championships in September.

Accident paves way for Olympic dream Sports Therapy lecturer Darren Cooper could represent the UK in the 2012 Olympics after an accident led to a complete change of direction in his sporting life. Read the full story

Top triathlete on world stage Tony Rees has represented Great Britain at the World Short Course Triathlon Championships and the World Triathlon Championships in Vancouver.

He has trained as a triathlete for 25 years and is also a client at a new sport science consultancy, which is now available for the public, University students and staff.

Based in the Olympia Building, it will help enhance performance in a range of sports and provides access to over 30 members of University staff who can offer their expertise in various specialist areas, such as sports psychology and physiology.

Unique water sport Bill Anderson, a BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering and Disaster Management student, competes in freestyle kayaking, which is a relatively new canoe sport derived from kayakers surfing white water waves in rivers and developing trick moves for fun.

Be the Best Golf star Adam Best, who is studying BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise (Applied Sport Science), finished top of the BUSA order of merit in England and Wales after four tournaments and also secured forth place in the Royal and Ancient bursars tournament at the world famous St Andrews golf course.

Tom's on top of the world Tom Newman, a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise (Coaching Science) student, is part of the Great Britain Lead Climbing Team and has his sights set on climbing the world rankings.

Student’s to compete on world stage Johanna Jackson and Chris Newton are Beijing bound after being selected to represent Great Britain in the 2008 Olympics. Johanna is studying for a BA (Hons) Creative Digital Media and will compete in the 20km Walk. Chris is a part-time student on the BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science and will compete in the Track Cycling Points Race.

Graduates hit top form World record holder Sharon Gayter, who was studying for an MSc Sport and Exercise, finished fourth in the Libyan Challenge 190km desert race. She was the first female to finish the gruelling race and broke her own female championship record. Sharon used our state-of-the-art environmental chamber to prepare for the event.

MSc Forensic Science graduate Georgina Roberts was part of the England Rugby Union side in the triple grand slam victory. Georgina will be representing the University in the world university 7's championships.

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