St Mary’s Alumni and Athletes Selected for Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

15 alumni, students and Endurance Performance and Coaching Centre (EPACC) athletes from St Mary’s University, Twickenham have been selected to represent their respective countries at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The competition, which takes place every four years, is being hosted on the Gold Coast, Australia in April. The Games bring together the leading athletics talent from across the Commonwealth compete in a range of both point scoring and non-point scoring sports.

Amongst the athletes representing Team St Mary’s in the point scoring sports are six Rio 2016 Olympians and seven competitors from the London 2017 World Athletics Championships, with Rowan Axe and Elliot Dorsey making their major championship debut. Andrew Osagie meanwhile will be making his first major outdoor championship since the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow, where he placed fifth in the 800m Final.

The 15 athletes competing in Australia is the highest number sent by St Mary’s, up on the 13 who competed in Glasgow 2014, and the nine who competed in Delhi 2010.

Team St Mary’s Athletes at the Games:

• Simon Amor (England) - Men's Rugby 7s Coach (Rio 2016)
• Rowan Axe (Wales) – Men’s 1500m
• Elliott Dorey (Jersey) – Men’s 1500m
• Elliot Giles (England) – Men’s 800m (Rio 2016, London 2017)
• Charlie Grice (England) – Men’s 1500m (Rio 2016)
• Jade Lally (England) – Women’s Discus (Rio 2016, London 2017)
• Andrew Osagie (England) – Men’s 800m
• Paul Pollock (Northern Ireland) – Men’s Marathon (Rio 2016)
• Beth Potter (Scotland) – Women’s 10000m, Triathlon, and Team Triathlon (Rio 2016, London 2017)
• Joe Townsend (England) Para-Triathlon (Rio 2016)
• Adelle Tracey (England) – Women’s 800m (London 2017)
• Steph Twell (Scotland) – Women’s 5000m (Rio 2016, London 2017)
• Andy Vernon (England) - Men's 10000m (Rio 2016)
• Lennie Waite (Scotland) – Women’s 3000m Steeplechase (Rio 2016, London 2017)
• Jake Wightman (Scotland) – Men’s 1500m (London 2017)

Speaking ahead of the Games, Director of Sport Andrew Reid-Smith said, “St Mary’s EPACC athletes and alumni are well represented in the national squads that have been selected.  Beth’s selection is worthy of special mention as she’s the first Team Scotland athlete in history to be selected for two different sports at a Commonwealth Games.  We are looking forward to watching all the athletes compete and wish them every success.”