Past and present students of the University have been competing in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The Games began last week and will last until the 3rd of August, and there are six Oxford students or alumni involved.
Daniel Hooker, 2013 Men’s Captain of Oxford University Athletics Club, has competed in the T37 100m race, which involves athletes with cerebral palsy. He won the British University & Colleges Sport’s disability 100m earlier this year.
Speaking to Cherwell, Daniel praised the University for helping develop his sporting abilities. He commented, “I guess the main thing Oxford gave me in terms of sport was a great club atmosphere, because the big event of the year (Varsity) is judged a success or failure based on the team result there is much more team spirit than you get at a lot of other athletics clubs, including other university clubs.
“Having those team-mates around you really motivates you to keep training and, especially if you’re one of the best athletes, you want to set an example for the group as a whole … I must also mention my former coach Mark Thomas who I met at Oxford, as well as jumps coach Paddy O’Shea.”
Hooker went on to add, “Overall, I am very proud to represent Oxford as well as England first and foremost at these Commonwealth Games and show that we can produce elite athletes as well as elite academics. I also look forward to seeing my former Dark Blue team-mate Luke Caldwell at the Games, even if he is representing Scotland!” Luke Caldwell is a 2012 Oxford Graduate who will be representing Scotland in the 5000m and 10,000m races.
Another Oxford competitor is Dan Fox, a Teddy Hall alumnus who was selected for England’s hockey team. He took part in England’s 6-1 victory over Trinidad & Tobago and the team is currently top of Pool B. During his time at Oxford he was also strongly involved in cricket, scoring 104 for Oxford in the 2004 Varsity Match.
Meanwhile backstroke swimmer James Jurkiewicz achieved a lifetime record with 1:00.51 in the 100m backstroke, which also won his heat. James graduated this year with a degree in Engineering from Hertford College and will compete in a total of six races.
The University is running a webpage with daily updates on the progress of Oxford athletes. The page can be accessed here.
