Ten Cambridge University graduates and one current student will represent Great Britain when the Olympic Games get under way in Beijing next week.

Second-year classics student Alex O’Connell (Churchill College) is one of only three Team GB fencing competitors at the Games . The 20-year-old, Great Britain’s youngest World Champion after winning the Cadet title in 2002, will compete in the Fencing Sabre competition held on August 12.

Given the University’s rowing pedigree, it comes as little surprise that seven of the nine Cambridge alumni in China will take part in the various rowing events, with the remaining two competing in Athletics and Road Cycling.

Cambridge connections continue with Anna Bebington (Newnham College) who graduated in 2005 with a degree in Natural Sciences and will be competing in the Double Scull. Anna is a 2004 World Under-23 Gold medallist and also won a bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships. The Double Scull heats start on August 9, and the finals are on August 14 and 16.

Hester Goodsell (Jesus College) completed her PGCE in 2005 and will be rowing in the Double Scull (Lightweight) along with Helen Casey (St Catharine's) in Beijing. Hester was a gold medallist at the Under-23 World Championships in 2005 and has twice won bronze in the World Championships in 2005 and 2006. Hester’s competition schedule begins on August 10 and will hopefully culminate in an appearance in the final on August 17.

Tom James (Trinity Hall) graduated in 2007 and is a former President of the Cambridge University Boat Club. Tom will be competing at his second Olympic Games, again in the GB Eight, having been disappointed with the ninth place finish at Athens in 2004. Tom won a Silver medal at the 2002 World Junior Championships and a bronze in the World Championships in 2007. Tom’s competition begins on August 9 with the final on August 16.

Tom Stallard (Jesus College) is another former President of Cambridge University Boat Club who competes in the Eight. Tom has competed in no less than five World Championships, earning a bronze, silver and gold medal along the way. Tom graduated in 2002 with a degree in Engineering.

Annie Vernon (Downing College) is another 2007 World Championship gold medallist and will be competing in the Quadruple Scull event in Beijing. Annie earned her degree in history in 2004. Her event runs from August 10-17.

Josh West’s (Gonville and Caius College) inclusion in the Eight boat means that there will be three former Light Blues, all Boat Race winners, in that particular team. Born in Santa Fe, Josh elected to row for Great Britain and earned a PhD in Biochemistry in 2005. Josh is competing in his second Olympic Games and has earned two silvers and a bronze in his appearances at World Championships.

Sarah Winckless (Fitzwilliam College) will be competing in her third Olympic Games, and is the only one of the ten athletes going to Beijing to have already won an Olympic medal.

She will be hoping to improve on the bronze medal she earned in Athens in 2004. Sarah began rowing at the University when she started her Natural Sciences degree in 1993, also competing for the University Netball and Athletics Clubs. Sarah has won two World Championship gold medals to go with the silver medal she earned at the 1998 FISU World University Rowing Championships whilst at Cambridge. Sarah’s event, the Women’s Eight, will take place from August 10-17.

Emma Pooley (Trinity Hall) will be competing in the Road Cycling competition, which takes place on August 10. Emma graduated with a degree in Engineering in 2005 and was a member of the University Hare and Hounds Club when she took up cycling and joined the Cambridge University Cycling Club.

Andy Baddeley (Gonville and Caius) who graduated with a MEng in Aerospace Engineering in 2004 will compete in the 1500m.

Andy finished ninth at the 2007 World Athletics Championships, becoming the first British athlete to reach the final of the event for ten years. The 1500m heats are scheduled to start on August 15, with the final on August 19.

The full Great Britain team consists of 313 athletes competing in 20 different sports and, according to British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), 57% of them are University students and graduates.
 

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