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London calling for UEL elite athletes

Thursday 28 June 2012

Elite athletes

Gemma Gibbons and Sophie Cox, two of UEL’s elite scholarship athletes, will have the prestigious honour of representing Team GB in Women’s Judo next month at the London 2012 Games.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) announced yesterday (Tuesday, 26 June) that Gemma and Sophie will go to head to head with the world’s best in Judo at the ExCel Centre in London’s Docklands.

Sophie, who represented Team GB at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, will compete in the under -52kg category on Sunday 29 July, while Gemma Gibbons will get her first taste of Olympic action in the under-78kg category on Tuesday, 2 August.

Gemma, who is currently studying Exercise Science and Health, spoke of her excitement at receiving the news. She said: “It was really exciting and a big relief to finally get confirmation, as nothing is official until you receive that email. I can now focus all my energy on competing in this summer’s Olympics.

“The support from UEL has been really helpful, and the sports scholarship programme has allowed me to take time to compete in major competitions, which has been a vital part of my journey to the London 2012 Games. I would say this has definitely made the difference between qualifying and not qualifying.”

Professor Patrick McGhee, Vice-Chancellor of UEL, passed on his congratulations by saying: “This is absolutely fantastic news for Gemma and Sophie, who have both worked so hard to make this dream become a reality.

“On behalf of UEL, I’d like to congratulate our two Olympic athletes.  We have every confidence that that they will do themselves, their families and UEL proud at the London 2012 Games. I hope the support of our students and staff helps spur them on to Olympic success.”

The University of East London aims to become the number one university for sport in London by 2015.

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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