Student wins gold at Olympic Stadium

A University of Wolverhampton student is among the first athletes to clinch a gold medal at the new Olympic Stadium.

Jarryd Dunn won gold in the 400m at the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) Visa Outdoor Athletics Championships in London this weekend.

The 20-year-old from Brownhills clocked up a personal best time of 46.66 seconds to secure the medal, which was also inside the European A qualifying standard (46.70).

Also celebrating was fellow Wolverhampton student 21-year-old David Lima from Lisbon in Portugal, who took the silver medal in the final of the Men’s 200m.

Both were up against students from universities around the country at the London 2012 test event, which was the culmination of this year’s Universities Week.

Jarryd, who was named the University of Wolverhampton’s Sportsperson of the Year recently, said: “Competing at the Olympic Stadium in an official test event ahead of this summer’s Games was an incredible experience.

“It was fantastic to win gold and stand on top of the podium where in a few months the likes of Usain Bolt will be standing. Also to run the European qualifying time is brilliant and I'm looking forward to hopefully gaining selection for the Championships later this year in Helsinki.”

Jarryd, who is studying a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science student at the School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure, had already won gold at the BUCS Indoor Athletics Championships in February.

Faye Haworth, Student Sports Coordinator from the Students’ Union, said: “We are all absolutely thrilled with Jarryd and David’s success at the Olympic Stadium this weekend. As a Students’ Union we have enjoyed some notable successes this year with our sports teams and this really is the icing on the cake.”

Wolverhampton students also competed in the Women’s 100m, 200m, Discus, Triple Jump and Long Jump and the Men’s 100m and Long Jump.

The BUCS Visa Outdoor Athletics Championships took place at the new Olympic Stadium from May 4-7 and saw up to 1,200 athletes from all over the UK competing for glory across 15 disciplines over the four days.

The Championships were a London 2012 test event as part of the London Prepares series.

Universities Week aims to increase public awareness of the wide and varied role of the UK’s universities. This year’s campaign will look at the contribution that universities make – and have always made – to the Olympic movement, the sports industry and society as whole.

Throughout the week universities across the UK will be showcasing the diverse ways in which universities have engaged with the Olympic and Paralympic Games– from sports training, research and development to the university-led Cultural Olympiad and volunteering projects that will support the London 2012 sporting events.

For more information visit: www.BUCS.org

Details about Universities Week are available at: www.universitiesweek.org.uk

ENDS

Picture: Jarryd Dunn competing at the Olympic Stadium this weekend

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