Introducing ‘Pathway to Paris’ series
With all eyes turning towards this year’s summer Olympics taking place in Paris, we’re taking you with us as we showcase the role that students, coaches, alumni and the University will play this 2024.
From athlete hopefuls to media commentary, Birmingham students past and present will be hopeful of helping shape a new sporting legacy following the success of the Commonwealth Games, hosted in Birmingham back in 2022.
That’s why we’re bringing readers a new blog series PATHWAY TO PARIS as we highlight the journey that our talented sportspeople at the University are about to embark on.
The 2024 Olympics in Paris mark a historic return to the city that last hosted the Games in 1924. Coinciding with the centenary of the last Paris Games, the city is undergoing extensive preparations, revitalizing infrastructure and creating state-of-the-art venues to welcome athletes and spectators from around the globe.
Kicking off on Friday 26 July, this year’s Games will close on Sunday 11 August. Over the next few months, some of our EDCAP and Sport scholars will be taking part in competitions and qualifiers, alongside our world-class sports coaches taking international roles.
Watch this space for all the latest selection news.
With sport very much on the agenda, we caught up with University of Birmingham’s Director of Sport, Andy Allford, to preview an exciting few months building up to the Games.
Q: Andy, you’ve experienced an Olympics before first-hand, what is it like to be a part of?
A: I’ve been lucky enough to go to two Olympic Games, Beijing as a support staff member and London as an Olympic Team Leader. I was very proud to be part of TeamGB, and it can also be a strange experience as the Olympic Village is effectively a bubble! You have all of these amazing sportspeople all in one place. Your job as an Olympic Team Leader is to ensure the noise around the games doesn’t affect the athlete.
Q: How have your experiences shaped your career?
A: There was much to learn being in the High Performance system, but when sport becomes emotive, it definitely has helped me keep a cool head when the stakes are high at a Games time. The approach to Wellbeing was also useful as the basics (sleep, nutrition, etc) all aid performance at every level.
Q: Students, staff and alumni will all be involved in Paris, what role is Birmingham playing on the international sport stage? And what are you most excited about?
Birmingham has a rich history in sport, being the first UK institution to introduce a sports-based degree option for students back in the 1940s. Since then, we have been at the forefront of performance and research, culminating in the Commonwealth Games two years ago – where athletes, coaches and University staff all experienced the work that goes into hosting a global, multi-sport event.
TeamGB Pursuit Cyclist Paul Manning, now involved in the backroom staff is one of our most prolific Olympians alongside numerous graduate hockey players to name a few. We’re also a world-class facility, hosting the legendary Team Jamaica two weeks prior to the 2012 London Olympics, before they went on to win 12 medals!
I am most excited about seeing how our students and alumni all get on in Paris. To be involved is an achievement in itself, and everyone at UoB Sport will be cheering them on all the way!
