University of East London Homepage

UEL student lands star Olympic role

Monday 27 February 2012

Andrew Bontiff

UEL sports journalism student, Andrew Bontiff, has been awarded the post of Olympic and Paralympic News Service Coordinator, standing head and shoulders above the many thousands of hopeful applicants.

The coveted placement will see Andrew working as an intermediary between the on-site reporters and the Central Editorial Team, ensuring the daily deluge of sports coverage is all processed in a timely manner – no mean feat considering the event generates almost 800 news stories a day. Andrew’s work will also involve managing the event ‘storyboard’, through which all news stories are tracked and organised.

Andrew is far from a novice in the world of Sports Journalism. As well as writing for UEL’s own Universe, he completed a work experience placement with Channel 4 in 2010 - a posting which took him from the Wimbledon Tennis Championships to the Big Brother House.

Andrew said of the role: “I feel tremendously proud to have landed the job; it is an honour knowing that I will be working at the London 2012 Games. Being an East End boy and having the games literally on my doorstep is an added incentive. After applying for the job in the University library, I was shocked to get called for an interview - let alone get accepted for the role.”

He added: “This job could not have been timed any better, as I complete my university degree just before the Games start. I cannot wait to get going.”

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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