Five University of Warwick students and alumni, including a Coventry local, will be heading to Paris to compete in this year’s Olympics and Paralympics.

As the eyes of the world turn to the Olympics, The University of Warwick will be cheering on these exceptional individuals as they show what it means to be a Warwick athlete.

The athletes representing the University on the global stage are:

Tom Hall, Archery – GB

Londoner, Tom, a former student at The University of Warwick, first took up archery in his second year of university while browsing sports clubs at the Freshers Fair. His natural talent was clear, with Tom going on to compete at increasingly higher levels, before finally earning his spot on the national team in 2015.

Having taken an extension from his PhD studies, as well as recovering from a serious injury just before the Tokyo Olympics, Tom knows what it takes to secure a place in the Olympic squad. This year, he hopes to go one step further and earn a spot on the podium in Paris this July.

On the news of his selection for Paris 2024, Tom said: “As my second games, Paris is a phenomenal achievement and I hope that as a team we can raise the profile of the sport to as many people as possible.

“Last year was a fantastic year for me personally, having won the National Tour Finals and the UK Masters, but competing at Paris is unbelievable.

“I hope to inspire people to take up a sport that they might never have thought about before, whether that’s archery or something else. We all have so much potential and, speaking from personal experience, it’s never too late to give something new a try.”

 

Kare Adenegan, Wheelchair Racing – GB

Coventry-born Kare Adenegan is already a medal winning Paralympian, with her performance at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games capturing the hearts of the nation. Kare put in one of her best performances at Tokyo, winning two silver medals in the T34 100m and 800m.

Following Kare’s most recent success at the World Championships in Paris 2023, she is now preparing for her third Paralympic Games.

After graduating in 2022 from The University of Warwick, Kare has been studying for a PGCE.

She has paused to focus more intently on her training, using the specialist athletics track and using the gym facilities at the Sports and Wellness Hub at Warwick.

Speaking about the Paris 2024 Games and her preparations, Kare commented: “My preparations for Paris 2024 are going well and I am at a good stage ahead of the games.

“I am very grateful to have access to Warwick’s sport facilities so close to home, which have been hugely beneficial in supporting my ongoing training.”

 

Joshua Bruyns, Speed Climbing – South Africa

Joshua will be competing for South Africa in Speed Climbing. He is currently in his second year studying Economics with Modern Foreign Languages at Warwick. Joshua fits in practice five times a week at Warwick’s Climbing Centre in the Sports and Wellness Hub.

He started climbing when he was just 10 and is heading into the Olympics in good form, setting a new personal best, and African record, in 2023.

 

Noor Slaoui, Eventing - Morocco

Noor grew up in Morocco and starting riding in her late teens, she studied political science at Warwick before starting up her own yard five years ago.

Last year, Noor travelled all over Europe picking up points and qualifications to get to Paris – prioritising events with showjumping on a surface.

Noor is the only Arab athlete who has qualified in the eventing and is the first Moroccan rider to compete internationally in the sport.

She sees it as a stepping stone to the future, “I started quite late in the sport and still have a lot to catch up on. I’ll be going to do my best and I want to do justice to my horse and my country and also to learn as much as I can without it feeling too pressured, to build on for the future.”

 

Lubjana Piovesana, Judo – Austria

Lubjana is a Former European under 23 Champion and will be competing in Paris for Austria. She’s a sporting scholar and is currently studying Politics at the University.

She started Judo at the age of four, has won two Grand Slam titles, is currently number 10 in the workd, and won bronze at the World Junior Championships. Lubjana also came 5^th at the Senior World Championships in the under 63kg category.

 







ENDS

Notes to Editors
To enquire about interviewing any of the Olympians, please contact press@warwick.ac.uk.
To find out more about the sporting facilities at Warwick click here.