Paris 2024 Olympics: Team St Mary's Preview

Fourteen athletes from St Mary’s University, Twickenham (SMU) and the Endurance Performance Centre (EPC) have been selected to compete at the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. The Paris 2024 Games will see current, former, and associate athletes of SMU compete in athletics, triathlon, rugby sevens, and para-cycling events for Great Britain, Jamaica, and France.

St Mary’s University has a history of success at recent Olympic and Paralympic Games. athletes, alumni, and students from SMU have won a Gold medal at every Games since Beijing 2008. In total the University has seen 51 athletes take part in the last four Olympic and Paralympic Games, with some representing multiple events, winning 17 medals for their nations.

At the Rio Games in 2016, SMU athletes took home four Gold medals, as well as three Silver and two Bronze. This included Sir Mo Farah who won double Gold in the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m, as well as alumnus Moe Sbihi who won Gold in the coxless four. Moe has also won Bronze twice in the men’s eight at the London and Tokyo Games. Alumna Corrine Hall took home Gold and Bronze in the track and road para-cycling events respectively as a Pilot for Lora Fachie in Rio, and at the Tokyo Games in 2021 the pair won Gold and Silver in the track and road para-cycling events. Overall, SMU athletes won three medals at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Speaking of the team going to Paris, Head of Sport St Mary’s said, “The Olympics is often referred to as the greatest show on earth, and with good justification. St Mary’s is incredibly proud of all our athletes, and we understand how much work they’ve all put in to be selected for a Games. We wish them an enjoyable and successful experience and we’ll be cheering them on.”

Here is the full list of all the SMU athletes selected to compete at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer to watch out for:

Beth Potter

Beth is an EPC and SMU alumna and will be competing for Team GB in the women’s triathlon, having secured her place after taking the World Championship title last year. Paris will be Beth’s second Olympic Games, having previously competed at the Rio Games in the women’s 10,000m event. She made her switch to triathlon in 2017, winning Gold just two years later at the 2019 European Triathlon Championships.

Emile Cairess

Emile is an EPC and SMU alumnus and will be competing in the men’s marathon for Team GB. Emile was the first-placed Briton in the 2024 London Marathon, running the second fastest British marathon time ever at 2:06:46. Fellow EPC alumnus and four-time Olympic Gold medal winner Sir Mo Farah currently holds the record with a time of 2:05:11. Emile is the current European record holder for the road 10 miles.

Charlotte Purdue

Charlotte is an EPC and SMU alumna. She has been selected to run in the women’s marathon for Team GB. She is currently third on the women’s British all-time Marathon record list, and holds the UK junior 10,000m record. Charlotte completed her first marathon in 2016 and was the first British woman across the line at the World Athletics Championships in 2017.

Ahead of the women's marathon in Paris, Charlotte has had to withdraw due to injury.

Corrine Hall

Corrine is an SMU alumna and will be competing in her third Paralympic Games as a tandem pilot for Lora Fachie. The pair have already won Gold twice at the Paralympics in the track para-cycling events at Rio and Tokyo. In the road para-cycling events they took home Bronze in Rio and Silver in Tokyo.

Adelle Tracey

Adelle is an EPC and SMU alumna and is representing Team Jamaica at the Paris Games. Adelle is running in the women’s 800m and 1500m events, having previously broke a Jamaican national record in both distances at the World Athletics Championships in 2023. Adelle represented Great Britain until 2022, and was one of the torchbearers at the Opening Ceremony for the London Games in 2012. She was selected as a torchbearer by Dame Kelly Holmes as one of six young British sport talents to watch.

Revée Walcott-Nolan

Revée is an EPC and SMU alumna and will be racing in the women’s 1500m. She made her Olympic debut for Team GB at the Tokyo Games in 2021, having been crowned the women’s 1500m champion at the British Championships that same year. Earlier this year Revée placed third in the 1500m at the British Athletics Championships, securing her place at the Paris Games.

Jake Wightman

Jake is an EPC associate and has been regularly training at SMU since 2017. He made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games, running in the men’s 1500m event. Jake became the men’s 1500m World Champion in 2022 at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, USA. At the Paris Games, he was selected to compete in the men’s 800m for Team GB.

Ahead of the first round in Paris, Jake has had to withdraw due to injury. He has been replaced by SMU alumni Elliot Giles.

Elliot Giles

Elliot Giles is an alumnus of SMU and an EPC runner. He has been selected to replace SMU associate Jake Wightman in the men's 800m for Team GB at the Paris Olympics. Elliot took the British title in 2016 before running a personal best in the final of the European Championships to win Bronze and secure a place at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

David Weir

David is an associate of St Mary's and regularly trains and undertakes testing in its world class facilities. He has been selected for his seventh Paralympics for ParalympicsGB, racing in the men's T54 1500m, 5000m, and marathon events during the Games. David previously won four Gold medals at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, and a further two Golds in the London 2012 Paralympics. 

Emma Uren

Emma is an alumna at SMU and has been named captain of the Team GB women’s rugby sevens squad at the Paris Games. This is Emma’s second Olympic selection, having competed with the Team GB squad at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The team came fourth at the Tokyo Games.

Ellie Kildunne

Ellie is an alumna of SMU and will be making her Olympic debut in Paris with the Team GB women’s rugby sevens squad. Ellie was the leading point-scorer for the winning England team at this year’s Six Nations tournament, scoring nine tries throughout the Six Nations. She also finished the tournament with the most carries, most metres gained, and most line-breaks for the team.

Lauren Torley

Lauren is a current MSc Applied Sport Psychology student and Gold sports scholar at SMU. She will be making her Olympic debut with Team GB women’s rugby sevens squad in Paris. Lauren was previously on the gold medal-winning Team GB squad at the 2023 European Games.

Aaron Grandidier

Aaron is an alumnus and former rugby academy scholar at SMU. He is part of the France men's rugby sevens squad in Paris, and previously scored a French record of 11 tries in a single weekend at the 2022/23 Hong Kong sevens.

Abi Burton

Abi is an alumna of SMU and has been listed as a reserve for the Team GB women’s rugby sevens squad. Abi previously competed at the Tokyo Games with the squad in 2021.