As Team GB prepares to take to the ice and snow at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games, a number of athletes in the squad will do so having already experienced the pressures and pride of international multi-sport competition through the FISU Winter World University Games as part of GB Students.
The Winter World University Games have long been recognised as a vital development stage for student-athletes, offering elite competition alongside academic study. For several members of Team GB’s Olympic contingent, representing GB Students proved to be a key stepping stone on their journey to the very top of their sport.
Curling
Curling continues to be one of Great Britain’s strongest Winter Olympic sports, and the 2026 squad features multiple athletes with direct FISU Winter World University Games experience. GB Students will be represented across the board in the Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Doubles teams.
The following athletes that have represented GB Students will be donning the Team GB kit in Italy:
- Jennifer Dodds - Trentino 2013
- Bruce Mouat - Almaty 2017 (Gold Medal)
- Sophie Jackson – Krasnoyarsk 2019
- Sophie Sinclair – Krasnoyarsk 2019
- Fay Henderson – Lake Placid 2023
- Bobby Lammie – Almaty 2017 (Gold medal)
- Grant Hardie – Granada 2015, (Bronze medal)
- Kyle Waddell – Trentino 2013, (Silver medal)
These results highlight not only individual excellence but also the depth and consistency of British curling within the student sport system. Several athletes who once stood on FISU podiums now prepare to compete for Olympic medals.
Speed Skating
Beyond curling, Elia Smeding represents another athlete who progressed through the GB Students pathway. Competing in long track speed skating, Smeding represented GB Students at the Almaty 2017 Winter World University Games, gaining experience against world-class opposition while balancing academic commitments - a challenge familiar to many student-athletes.
On the upcoming games and GB Student representation, current Winter World Games Chef De Mission, Chris Purdie, said: “It is simply brilliant to see so many athletes and practitioners who have been to the World University Games involved in the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Credit must go to the National Governing Bodies, Tertiary Education Partners, and Educational Institutions that collaborate to provide a pathway for young athletes to compete at the highest levels of sport while simultaneously studying at a university or college.
“The athletes participating in the Games in Milan-Cortina are a real testament to the sporting pathway within the education sector, and everyone here at GB Students is right behind them. It is incredible to see that eight of the ten curlers who are representing Team GB in Italy have competed at a previous World University Games - including both Bruce Mouat and Bobby Lammie, who won gold at the World University Games in Almaty in 2017.
“It is an exciting time for GB Students with the next Winter Games due to take place in Changchun, China, in January 2027. For many student-athletes, the World University Games is their first experience in a multisport environment, providing a platform to develop and gain competition experience for future events. I am looking forward to working with all our partners and seeing how many athletes follow in the footsteps of those WUGS alumni in Italy.”
BUCS CEO, Will Roberts, added: “It’s incredible to see the representation of former GB Students athletes on the world stage, it’s a real testament to the athlete’s dedication to their sports and the NGB’s and institutions that have supported them along the way. The GB Students programme has produced a wide spread of Olympians over the years, and we are extremely proud of all of them.
“With the next upcoming Winter University games in China in 2027, we hope that athletes see the progression that GB Students can offer and are inspired by all our former athletes as they take to the biggest stage of them all.
“All of us at BUCS wish all athletes the best of luck as they head out to Italy, good luck to everyone”
The presence of so many former GB Students athletes in Team GB’s Winter Olympic squad underlines the importance of the FISU Winter World University Games as a genuine pipeline to elite sport. These competitions provide more than medals; they offer international exposure, team culture, and the opportunity to perform on a global stage.
As Team GB takes on the world this winter, the impact of university sport will be on full display, proving that the journey to the Olympic Games can - and often does - begin in the lecture theatre as well as the training rink.
