The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games officially kick off on Friday 4 February and we are excited to see the eight former BUCS athletes and alumni competing in their respective events. With representatives from curling, speed skating and even bobsleigh, we can’t wait to cheer on our BUCS athletes and alumni competing at the Games.
We kick off with bobsleigh and one of the most impressive stories in our list of athletes is Montell Douglas. The former Brunel University sprinter and BUCS Champion in 60m and 100m disciplines has switched the athletics track for the bobsled track as she becomes the first British woman to compete at both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
Also heading to Beijing in the bobsleigh team as a reserve is Welsh shot putter and Cardiff Metropolitan University alumni Adele Nicol. She has had a rapid rise in the bobsleigh world after becoming a World Cup medallist a short time after taking up the sport.
From the bobsled track to the speed skating track, Cornelius Kersten and Ellia Smeding will become the first male and female long track speed skaters to represent Team GB in 30 and 42 years respectively. Our speed skating pair represented our GB Students team at the World Winter University Games back in 2017, and are smashing records even before stepping foot on the ice at Beijing.
Staying on the ice but at a much slower pace, we have four curlers heading to Beijing looking for more medals after success at previous Winter World University Games as part of our GB Students team. Edinburgh Napier University and University of Stirling alumni Bruce Mouat and Bobby Lammie won gold back in 2017, whilst Ross Whyte, a University of Stirling student won bronze as part of the men’s team in 2019. Completing the trio of curlers from Stirling, Mili Smith will be a part of the Team GB women’s curling group.
Team Mouat containing Bruce Mouat, Bobby Lammie and Ross Whyte are also the current World Curling silver medallists and will have ambitions for a medal at this year’s Winter Olympics.
Vince Mayne, BUCS CEO, wishes our athletes success in Beijing; “It is fantastic to see this cohort of former BUCS athletes representing Team GB and heading to the 2022 Winter Olympics. What a privilege it has been to watch these athletes grow from their university performances and the Winter World University Games achievements, to reaching the pinnacle of their sporting career. We will be following all the athletes’ journeys and look forward to watching them shine on the world stage.”
