Sheffield Hallam sporting talent race to gold at Commonwealth Games 2026

Sheffield Hallam alumni awarded audiences medal-winning moments during this year’s Commonwealth Games, but it was heptathlon star Kate O’Connor, whose unstoppable rise in the world of athletics finally reached its quest for gold

Press contact: Rebecca Ferguson | r.ferguson@shu.ac.uk

As the games concluded in Glasgow, Sheffield Hallam celebrated not only Kate claiming the first gold in athletics for Northern Ireland in 40 years, but also success for Jade O’Dowda, who secured silver in the same event for England, and Ben Piggott, who took home bronze for Table Tennis England in the team event at this year’s Commonwealth Championship held in Delhi, India in the same week. 

Kate is a graduate of Sheffield Hallam’s Sport Development and Coaching programme, which prepares students for a career in the sports industry and offers real world experience at some of the world’s biggest sporting events, such as the Olympic Games. 

At 25-years-old, Kate’s incredible career has already contended with athletics’ most notable events, resulting in her beating personal bests and bringing home medals. Her gold at the Commonwealth Games adds to her long line of athletics achievements, including silver medals for the pentathlon at the World Indoor Championships, and for the heptathlon again at the World Athletics Championships in 2025. She won her first medal as a senior when she picked up silver at the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham in 2022. 

Jade O’Dowda, Kate’s closest competitor in the heptathlon this year, secured the silver medal position, adding to her bronze medal win, also from the Commonwealth Games 2022. 

Jade studied Human Biology at Sheffield Hallam, before also undertaking a further master's degree with the university in International Relations and Global Crises. 

Ben Piggott, a current Sports Coaching student and athlete enrolled on Performance Athlete Support Programme at Sheffield Hallam, secured a bronze medal in the team event for Table Tennis England. 

The programme supports talented and rising stars of international sport balance university life at Hallam to achieve their sporting potential.

Ben Piggott playing Table Tennis at a pre-tournament training camp in Sheffield, before flying out to India for the Commonwealth Championships. Image credit: Table Tennis England

A key member of Hallam’s Men's Table Tennis, Ben also was also part of the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championship winning team for Hallam for the 2025-26 season. 

James Blencowe, Performance Sport Manager at Sheffield Hallam, said: “It’s great to see current and former athletes of the Performance Athlete Support Programme at Sheffield Hallam go on to achieve amazing things. Medal success across the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championships is incredible and were so pleased to support our student athletes in their ambitions with the part we play in their journey. Huge congratulations to Kate, Jade and Ben.” 

Dr Ruth Crabtree, Head of School of Sport and Physical Activity, said: “It is fantastic to see alumni from the school win at major competitions such as the Commonwealth Games. At Hallam we pride ourselves on offering flexible programmes of study that enable elite athletes, such as Kate, to balance her academic and sporting commitments to achieve success. 

“We are also proud of the applied nature of our courses and the value-added opportunities we provide our students whilst studying with us. Many of our students, along with staff volunteered at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which gave them great experience of working on large, iconic sport events, providing them with the skills needed to make them career ready when they graduate. 

“Summer 2026 will be a busy one for Hallam students, working not only at the Commonwealth Games, but also the British Transplant Games, starting this week in Sheffield, the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, and the Brighton Half Marathon to name a few!”