Stirling student athletes triumph on national stage

The University of Stirling has achieved stand-out success at the 2024 British Universities and College Sport (BUCS) Nationals, once again solidifying its reputation as Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence.

With remarkable performances across multiple disciplines, Stirling athletes took home an impressive 31 medals, including 12 golds, placing the University second in the overall BUCS Medals Table for 2024/25.

It was a historic weekend in Sheffield for Stirling’s swimmers who brought home a remarkable 29 medals and topped the Women’s Swimming Medal Table for the first time.

Angharad Evans set new BUCS records in the women’s 100m and 200m breaststroke events, while team mate Katie Shanahan also made history with a new record in the women’s 200m Individual Medley.

Image credit: BUCS

Paralympic swimmer Sam Downie’s record-breaking performance in the S8 100m Backstroke was yet another highlight in the pool.

Stirling’s success also extended to athletics, with Cameron Thores securing silver in the male Ambulant 60m event at the BUCS Indoor Athletics Championships and Sofia Vidak winning bronze in the female 800m event.

In badminton, Xinrui Tan made the last 16 in the females competition, Ciar Pringle achieved the same in the males, and together they matched their success in the Mixed Doubles, while University fencing athletes put down strong performances in the Senior Mixed Epee, Senior Women’s Sabre and Senior Mixed Sabre events.

Across all disciplines, almost 60 Stirling athletes took part to collectively achieve 75 top 10 finishes.

David Bond, Head of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “Once again Stirling athletes have demonstrated their dedication, determination and ability to excel at the highest levels of student sport. This year’s BUCS Nationals were an extraordinary showcase of talent on the national stage and only reinforce our commitment to supporting and developing sporting excellence among our students.

“A special mention must go to the women’s swimming team for their record-making achievements, encapsulating Stirling’s status as a powerhouse for competitive swimming. Their impressive medal haul is the culmination of a great deal of hard work and the recognition received is richly deserved.”

Image credit: BUCS

Stirling’s International Sports Scholarship Programme – one of the largest high-performance programmes in the UK – offers athletes funding support, academic flexibility, access to world-class facilities and coaching, equipment and kit. It has supported hundreds of athletes since its inception in 1981 – with many competing on the world stage, including at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. 

Core sports include tennis, swimming, golf, football, triathlon, rugby and curling, while individual scholarships include athletics, fencing, BMX racing, and orienteering. 

Visit our dedicated webpage for more information on our International Sports Scholarship Programme.