Over the past two weeks, we saw over 200 BUCS athletes, past and present, take to the pitch, pool and stadium in Birmingham to compete at the 22nd Commonwealth Games. Incredible performances from BUCS athletes secured them a total of 132 medals, including 42 gold, across 10 sports. These medalists spanned across 32 different universities which also means that if BUCS was a country, we would be in third place in the medal table.
Our biggest success was in the pool, where BUCS athletes competing for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland won an incredible 47 medals. The golden boys of the Tokyo Olympics, Tom Dean (Bath) and Duncan Scott (Stirling), became England and Scotland’s most decorated Commonwealth athletes winning six medals apiece. Our para swimmers shone, collecting seven medals, including gold for Middlesex’s Alice Tai, who had a leg amputated just six months prior.
Under the electric atmosphere of the Alexander Stadium, our athletes set the stadium alight, collecting 18 medals, including seven gold. Particularly memorable was Dundee alumni and previous BUCS Champion Eilish McColgan, who stormed home to gold lifted by cheers of the crowd, 36 years after her mother won gold at the same event. After taking silver at the BUCS and BT Outdoor Athletics Championships in May, Loughborough’s Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker went one better, securing gold in the T45-47 100m final, whilst the pride of Glasgow, Laura Muir, won gold and bronze in the 1500m and 800m.
BUCS Hockey continues to provide a significant performance pathway, with over 90% of the England, Scotland and Wales men’s and women’s teams competing in BUCS. Chants of ‘It’s coming home’ echoed through the pitch on ‘Super Sunday’ when the England women’s hockey team won gold, with 14 players having played in the BUCS and ICG women’s hockey programme. England men followed up the day later with a worthy bronze, adding another 17 medals to BUCS’ tally.
Combat sports provided the stage for a plethora of medals for BUCS, with ten in judo and two in boxing. Wolverhampton asserted their dominance, with their judokas winning five medals for both England and Jamaica. There were two glittering golds for BUCS boxing champions; Aston’s Delicious Orie won the men’s super-heavyweight division, and Cardiff Met’s Rosie Eccles brought the women’s light-middleweight title back to Wales.
It is safe to say universities in the West Midlands helped to put on the show. Close to 2,000 athletes made use of the University of Warwick’s campus facilities during the Games, whilst the University of Birmingham hosted 48 sessions and welcomed over 170,000 spectators as the official competition venue for hockey and squash. Over at Aston University, they helped keep everyone safe and well by providing Optometry equipment and eye care professionals, forming the primary healthcare facilities for athletes and officials.
Jenny Morris, Director of Delivery at BUCS, commented on the success of the last two weeks: “After the accomplishments of BUCS athletes in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, hopes were high going into the Commonwealth Games. Yet, it is safe to say that with 132 medals being won, athletes have completely exceeded expectations once again.
We are incredibly proud of their achievements on the world stage and all the hard work that has gone into getting them to that point. The investment that universities make into helping athletes achieve this type of success is pivotal, so we especially want to recognise that and thank them for the crucial role they play. The fact that 32 universities were a part of those 132 medals shows the calibre of university sport in the UK, and the undeniable pathway that it provides for international sporting success.”
Hockey image credit: Getty
