Sports Communication graduate Kate O’Connor took home silver for Ireland in the heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. She is the first Irish athlete to win a global medal in a multi-event.
She was competing against fellow Sheffield Hallam alumna Jade O’Dowda who finished 8th in the women’s heptathlon. Jade recently completed a master’s in international relations and global crises at the University.
Emily Asquith, who completed her degree in Sport and Exercise Science in Sheffield Hallam’s School of Sport and Physical Activity earlier this year, competed at the World Boxing Championships held in Liverpool this month. Emily took home a silver medal after reaching the gold medal bout in the women’s 80kg category.
Fellow boxer Teagn Stott, who was supported through the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme and worked with Sheffield Hallam’s strength and conditioning team, also won silver in the men’s 85kg category.
Kate, Jade and Emily were all supported through the Performance Athlete Support Programme (PASP) during their time at Sheffield Hallam which helps talented athletes to balance university life while achieving their sporting potential.
Kate Cox, Head of Physical Activity and Sport at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “What a fantastic couple of weeks and a huge well done to Kate, Jade, Emily and Teagn. We're incredibly proud of these athletes and their achievements on the world stage, with hopefully much more to come in future events. It sets a real standard of what we want to achieve through support for our high performing athletes at Sheffield Hallam.”
Sheffield Hallam University continues to solidify its position as a leading institution in sports education, research, and performance, contributing significantly to the success of international athletes on the world stage.
