Sheffield Hallam celebrates its role in Rio 2016 after helping athletes achieve medal success

Sheffield Hallam University is celebrating its role in Rio 2016 after helping more athletes than ever achieve medal success.

Sheffield Hallam Sport Lecturer Paul Greaves and Bryony Page

Experts from Sheffield Hallam's Centre for Sports Engineering Research (CSER) were involved with ten medal winning teams including GB Boxing, British Canoeing and British Gymnastics.

Bespoke performance data analysis software designed at Sheffield Hallam was used by athletes and their coaches to access a wealth of performance statistics to allow comprehensive feedback and support them to achieve improvements.

Dr David James, Acting Director of CSER, said:

We are renowned for our work with elite sports teams and governing bodies and this continues to be a major focus for the Centre.

We have continued to support the English Institute of Sport's Research and Innovation Programme to help GB athletes achieve success.

There was also success for members of staff, students and a graduate from Hallam during the Games.   

Sheffield Hallam sports lecturer Paul Greaves coached gymnast Bryony Page to an unexpected silver medal in trampolining.

Paul, who studied Sports Coaching at Sheffield Hallam before going on to become a lecturer, has coached Bryony for six years and describes her achievement as the proudest moment of his life.

Paul said:

I knew as soon as she had performed that she would challenge for a medal. The wait as the other gymnasts performed was so tense.

The feeling when she won the silver medal is indescribable because I knew how much it meant to her.

We've worked incredibly hard, training six days a week, twice a day sometimes, specifically for that moment.

The performance is over in a matter of seconds but the effort that goes into preparing for it is huge. For her to give that performance on that stage was incredible.

The most important thing for me is that her performance inspires other people to take up the sport. I hope my students are inspired and go on to coach athletes to Olympic success.

Hallam graduate Niccolo Campriani shot to glory winning two gold medals in the men’s 50m rifle three position and the men's 10m air rifle events.
The 28-year-old studied a Master's in Sports Engineering at Hallam, graduating in 2013.

In the pool, sport and exercise science student Max Litchfield, 21, narrowly missed out on a medal finishing fourth in the men's 400m individual medley.

He thanked Sheffield Hallam for the support the University has given him.