Post by KimThePanther on Aug 7, 2008 14:47:09 GMT
The Olympics get under way in Beijing tomorrow. Here's a list of all Notts based athletes who'll be representing GB.
Rebecca Adlington Sport: Swimming Events: 400m Freestyle, 4x200m Freestyle Relay, 800m Freestyle Age: 19 Lives: Mansfield Born: Mansfield Club: Nova Centurion Coach: Bill Furniss Occupation: Swimmer FACT: Adlington goes into the games as the fastest in the world at 800m freestyle. Always wears a new racing costume for each big competition.
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Jessica Sylvester Sport: Swimming Event: 4x100m Freestyle Relay Age: 22 Lives: Nottingham Born: Newcastle, Staffs Club: Nova Centurion Coach: Bill Furniss Occupation: Student FACT: Played football for school and Staffs until aged 14, but gave up to concentrate on swimming. Played cricket for a boys? team.
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Campbell Walsh Sport: Slalom kayak Event: K-1 (kayak single) Age: 30 Lives: Nottingham Born: Glasgow Height: 173cm Weight: 64kg Coach: Jurg Gotz Occupation: Professional athlete FACT: Olympic silver medallist in Kayak Single in Athens, Walsh?s target is a gold medal in Beijing and also at London 2012. He has already displayed fine form in 2008, taking gold at the European Championships in May. This follow's consecutive bronze medals at World Championship level in 2006 and 2007.
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Fiona Pennie Sport: Slalom kayak Event: K-1 (kayak single) Age: 25 Lives: Nottingham Born: Alexandria, Dumbartonshire Club: C.R. CATS Coach: Shaun Pearce Occupation: Full time athlete FACT: Her current coach is Shaun Pearce, an ex-World Champion in Men?s Kayak in Tacen, Yugoslavia 1991. Canoeing runs in Pennie?s family, her mother was an international flatwater paddler.
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David Florence Sport: Slalom Event: C-1 (canoe single) Age: 25 (26 on day of opening ceremony) Lives: Nottingham Born: Aberdeen Height: 188cm Weight: 78kg Club: Forth Canoe Club Coach: Mark Delaney Occupation: Professional athlete FACT: World Cup gold medallist David Florence was a late starter in canoeing but is now one of the British canoeing?s top slalom paddlers. Canoeing is in David?s family, as both his father and uncle used to paddle competitively. It was his uncle who first introduced David to the sport.
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Nathan Robertson Sport: Badminton Event: Mixed Doubles Age: 31 Lives: Milton Keynes Born: Nottingham Height: 187cm Weight: 82kg Occupation: Professional athlete FACT: One of the world's greatest badminton players and his sights are now firmly set on Beijing 2008 when he and Gail Emms aim to win the gold that they were so close to winning in 2004, when they took silver. World champions in 2006.
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Anthony Clark Sport: Badminton Event: Mixed Doubles Age: 30 Lives: Coalville, Leicestershire Born: Nottingham. Height: 173cm Weight: 76kg Coach: Andy Wood Occupation: Professional athlete FACT: In Beijing Clark will partner Derby?s Donna Kellogg in the mixed doubles. They are currently European Champions after overcoming British rivals Emms and Robertson to take gold.
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Lucy Wainwright Sport: Sprint Canoe Event: K-1 500m Age: 30 Lives: Nottingham Born: Swindon Height: 172cm Weight: 68kg Club: Nottingham Coach: Brendon Purcell Occupation: Athlete/ Part time lecturer FACT: Her aim is to pursue a career in nutrition or sport science, although she plans to keep canoeing after Beijing and go on to race at London 2012. One of the most experienced canoeists in GB team, canoeing since 1990.
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Tim Brabants Sport: Sprint Event: K-1 1000m, K-1 500m Age: 31 Lives: Nottingham Born: Chertsey Height: 188 Weight: 85 Club: Nottingham Canoe Coach: Eric Farrell Occupation: Medical doctor FACT: Brabants is the current World and European Champion in the K1 1000m event. He won bronze in the K1 1000m in Sydney where he produced a superb last 250m. He also competed in Athens where he finished fifth. After completing his medical studies at Nottingham University he took a year out to serve as a house doctor in Jersey but made a triumphant return to the water with a World Championship silver in 2006 at Szeged. Current world and European champion.
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Becky Downie Sport: Artistic gymnastics Event: Team Competition Age: 16 Lives: Mapperley, Nottingham Born: Nottingham Club: Notts Gymnastics Club Coach: Claire Starkey FACT: Downie started gymnastics when she was seven years old at Bigwood Gymnastics Club. She has risen through the ranks of British Gymnastics and rates her greatest achievement so far as coming sixth in the team competition at the 2007 World Championships.
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Alastair Wilson Sport: Hockey Event: Teams Age: 24 Lives: West Bridgford Born: Sheffield Height: 187 Weight: 86 Club: Beeston Hockey Club Coach: Nick Clark Occupation: Athlete FACT: Ali made his debut for England in January 2005 on the tour of South Africa, going on to make a further 45 appearances for England and over 20 for Great Britain, five of which came as he helped GB secure qualification for the Olympics in Chile. His father Richard is an FIH international umpire.
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Jennie Bimson Sport: Hockey Event: Teams Age: 31 Lives: Nottingham Born: Wordsley, Stourbridge Height: 161cm Weight: 64kg Club: Leicester Coach: Chris Mayer Occupation: Senior account manager FACT: Bimson is an experienced international having played in three World Cups and European Cups since her England debut against Germany in 1997. With 155 caps for England and over 30 for Great Britain, Beijing will be her first Olympic Games.
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Crista Cullen Sport: Hockey Event: Teams Age: 22 Lives: London Born: Boston Height: 180 Weight: 75.6 Club: Leicester Coach: Chris Mayer Occupation: Business development consultant for the Kennel Club FACT: Twice selected among the World Hockey All Star Team after consistently good performances on the international stage, former Nottingham student Cullen scored two penalty corners as England overcame Spain 3-2 at the EuroHockey Nations Championships to qualify for the Olympics.
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Helen Richardson Sport: Hockey Event: Teams Age: 26 Lives: Nottingham Born: Hitchin Height: 165 Weight: 55 Club: Leicester Coach: Chris Mayer FACT: Despite being only 26, Richardson is one of the most experienced and successful members of the Great Britain squad, having made her international debut for England in 1999 against Japan. Just short of 100 caps for England, the defender has won medals in three EuroHockey Nations Championships (all bronze), two Champions Challenge (a gold and bronze) and silver at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
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Andy Turner Sport: Athletics Event: 110m hurdles Age: 27 Lives: London Born: Hucknall Height: 182 Weight: 77 Club: Sale Harriers Coach: Lloyd Cowan Occupation: Athlete FACT: Andy is a talented footballer who played for Notts County as a youngster (despite being a Nottingham Forest supporter), and was once offered an England rugby trial. He was the only British athlete to win individual medals at both Commonwealth Games and European Championships in 2006. His nickname used to be Greengrass (after the Heartbeat character).
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Jessica Sylvester Sport: Swimming Event: 4x100m Freestyle Relay Age: 22 Lives: Nottingham Born: Newcastle, Staffs Club: Nova Centurion Coach: Bill Furniss Occupation: Student FACT: Played football for school and Staffs until aged 14, but gave up to concentrate on swimming. Played cricket for a boys? team.
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Campbell Walsh Sport: Slalom kayak Event: K-1 (kayak single) Age: 30 Lives: Nottingham Born: Glasgow Height: 173cm Weight: 64kg Coach: Jurg Gotz Occupation: Professional athlete FACT: Olympic silver medallist in Kayak Single in Athens, Walsh?s target is a gold medal in Beijing and also at London 2012. He has already displayed fine form in 2008, taking gold at the European Championships in May. This follow's consecutive bronze medals at World Championship level in 2006 and 2007.
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Fiona Pennie Sport: Slalom kayak Event: K-1 (kayak single) Age: 25 Lives: Nottingham Born: Alexandria, Dumbartonshire Club: C.R. CATS Coach: Shaun Pearce Occupation: Full time athlete FACT: Her current coach is Shaun Pearce, an ex-World Champion in Men?s Kayak in Tacen, Yugoslavia 1991. Canoeing runs in Pennie?s family, her mother was an international flatwater paddler.
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David Florence Sport: Slalom Event: C-1 (canoe single) Age: 25 (26 on day of opening ceremony) Lives: Nottingham Born: Aberdeen Height: 188cm Weight: 78kg Club: Forth Canoe Club Coach: Mark Delaney Occupation: Professional athlete FACT: World Cup gold medallist David Florence was a late starter in canoeing but is now one of the British canoeing?s top slalom paddlers. Canoeing is in David?s family, as both his father and uncle used to paddle competitively. It was his uncle who first introduced David to the sport.
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Nathan Robertson Sport: Badminton Event: Mixed Doubles Age: 31 Lives: Milton Keynes Born: Nottingham Height: 187cm Weight: 82kg Occupation: Professional athlete FACT: One of the world's greatest badminton players and his sights are now firmly set on Beijing 2008 when he and Gail Emms aim to win the gold that they were so close to winning in 2004, when they took silver. World champions in 2006.
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Anthony Clark Sport: Badminton Event: Mixed Doubles Age: 30 Lives: Coalville, Leicestershire Born: Nottingham. Height: 173cm Weight: 76kg Coach: Andy Wood Occupation: Professional athlete FACT: In Beijing Clark will partner Derby?s Donna Kellogg in the mixed doubles. They are currently European Champions after overcoming British rivals Emms and Robertson to take gold.
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Lucy Wainwright Sport: Sprint Canoe Event: K-1 500m Age: 30 Lives: Nottingham Born: Swindon Height: 172cm Weight: 68kg Club: Nottingham Coach: Brendon Purcell Occupation: Athlete/ Part time lecturer FACT: Her aim is to pursue a career in nutrition or sport science, although she plans to keep canoeing after Beijing and go on to race at London 2012. One of the most experienced canoeists in GB team, canoeing since 1990.
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Tim Brabants Sport: Sprint Event: K-1 1000m, K-1 500m Age: 31 Lives: Nottingham Born: Chertsey Height: 188 Weight: 85 Club: Nottingham Canoe Coach: Eric Farrell Occupation: Medical doctor FACT: Brabants is the current World and European Champion in the K1 1000m event. He won bronze in the K1 1000m in Sydney where he produced a superb last 250m. He also competed in Athens where he finished fifth. After completing his medical studies at Nottingham University he took a year out to serve as a house doctor in Jersey but made a triumphant return to the water with a World Championship silver in 2006 at Szeged. Current world and European champion.
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Becky Downie Sport: Artistic gymnastics Event: Team Competition Age: 16 Lives: Mapperley, Nottingham Born: Nottingham Club: Notts Gymnastics Club Coach: Claire Starkey FACT: Downie started gymnastics when she was seven years old at Bigwood Gymnastics Club. She has risen through the ranks of British Gymnastics and rates her greatest achievement so far as coming sixth in the team competition at the 2007 World Championships.
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Alastair Wilson Sport: Hockey Event: Teams Age: 24 Lives: West Bridgford Born: Sheffield Height: 187 Weight: 86 Club: Beeston Hockey Club Coach: Nick Clark Occupation: Athlete FACT: Ali made his debut for England in January 2005 on the tour of South Africa, going on to make a further 45 appearances for England and over 20 for Great Britain, five of which came as he helped GB secure qualification for the Olympics in Chile. His father Richard is an FIH international umpire.
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Jennie Bimson Sport: Hockey Event: Teams Age: 31 Lives: Nottingham Born: Wordsley, Stourbridge Height: 161cm Weight: 64kg Club: Leicester Coach: Chris Mayer Occupation: Senior account manager FACT: Bimson is an experienced international having played in three World Cups and European Cups since her England debut against Germany in 1997. With 155 caps for England and over 30 for Great Britain, Beijing will be her first Olympic Games.
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Crista Cullen Sport: Hockey Event: Teams Age: 22 Lives: London Born: Boston Height: 180 Weight: 75.6 Club: Leicester Coach: Chris Mayer Occupation: Business development consultant for the Kennel Club FACT: Twice selected among the World Hockey All Star Team after consistently good performances on the international stage, former Nottingham student Cullen scored two penalty corners as England overcame Spain 3-2 at the EuroHockey Nations Championships to qualify for the Olympics.
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Helen Richardson Sport: Hockey Event: Teams Age: 26 Lives: Nottingham Born: Hitchin Height: 165 Weight: 55 Club: Leicester Coach: Chris Mayer FACT: Despite being only 26, Richardson is one of the most experienced and successful members of the Great Britain squad, having made her international debut for England in 1999 against Japan. Just short of 100 caps for England, the defender has won medals in three EuroHockey Nations Championships (all bronze), two Champions Challenge (a gold and bronze) and silver at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
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Andy Turner Sport: Athletics Event: 110m hurdles Age: 27 Lives: London Born: Hucknall Height: 182 Weight: 77 Club: Sale Harriers Coach: Lloyd Cowan Occupation: Athlete FACT: Andy is a talented footballer who played for Notts County as a youngster (despite being a Nottingham Forest supporter), and was once offered an England rugby trial. He was the only British athlete to win individual medals at both Commonwealth Games and European Championships in 2006. His nickname used to be Greengrass (after the Heartbeat character).