With the World University Cross Country Championships just around the corner, the University of Birmingham are pleased to announce five UoB based athletes have been selected to represent Great Britain. The championships will take place at Cassino’s University in Italy on March 12, 2016.
Third year Sport and Exercise Science student, Pippa Woolven; third year Natural Sciences student, Rebecca Murray; second year Biochemistry student, Jonathan Davies; PhD Sport Psychology student, Andrew Heyes; and first year student Mari Smith will all be competing in the 20th World University Championships.
All five athletes put in huge performances at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Cross Country Championships on February 6, 2016 and helped UoB to claim gold in both the men’s and the women’s competitions, as well as a host of individual medals.
BUCS Cross Country Women’s Champion, Pippa Woolven said: ‘I wasn’t planning on doing any more cross country races this season as my focus is mainly on the track but I’ll definitely be making an exception to run at the World University Champs! The goal is just to get in the mix and see how fast I go on a (hopefully) less muddy course. Then my focus will be back to track and I’ll be aiming for the Olympic Games this summer.’
Pippa Woolven smashed the women’s race to win gold, followed closely behind by another Birmingham athlete- Rebecca Murray who picked up silver. Before yet another UoB student, Mari Smith, eventually came home in sixth- completing a great set of results in the women’s race.
The Brum men were equally dominant in their race with Andrew Heyes securing a silver medal, and European Cross Country Champion, Jonathan Davies picked up a bronze finishing less than a second after Heyes.
Of the twelve athletes selected to represent Great Britain at the World University Cross Country Championships, five of them are from the University of Birmingham, and all of us from Burn FM certainly wish them the very best of luck in all their races.
Matt Bullin.
