University of Bath hosts homecoming for Olympic and Paralympic athletes

A special homecoming reception was held at the University of Bath to celebrate the achievements of its Olympians and Paralympians following their success in Paris.

Five athletes who train, study, or previously studied at the university were honoured, alongside coaches, staff, and civic representatives from Bath and Somerset. 

The university is recognised as one of the UK’s top institutions for high-performance sport.

Among those celebrated were double Paralympic Champion Dimitri Coutya (wheelchair fencing) and Olympic gold medallist Kieran Bird (swimming). They were joined by Dan Bethell (para-badminton), Piers Gilliver (wheelchair fencing), and Becky Wilde (rowing), all of whom achieved podium finishes in Paris.

The reception also welcomed Tokyo Olympic Champion Freya Anderson, along with Leah Crisp and Jacob Whittle, teammates of Bird at the Aquatics GB Bath Performance Centre. Pentathlon GB athletes Kate French and Charlie Brown also attended the event.

Highlighting the university’s international reach, student-athletes Henrique Mascarenhas (swimming) and Sofia Sjostrom (eventing) were recognised for representing Angola and Sweden, respectively, in Paris.

Picture credit: University of Bath