August 2, 2012, by Harry Waddle

It’s raining medals

Graduates Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott have taken gold, while David Florence and his partner Richard Hounslow secured the silver for Great Britain in the Men’s C2 Canoe Slalom at London 2012.

Just hours after another graduate Chris Bartley secured rowing silver in the Men’s Four, the canoeing stars wrote their names in Olympic history after beating triple Olympic champions  Pavol and Peter Hochschorner.

After their Olympic winning performance Etienne Stott and Tim Baillie’s personal tutor, Andrew Long, said: “I knew Tim and Etienne as undergrads, and was personal tutor to both for their 3rd year projects.

“Both worked on polymer composite materials, and have now won gold paddling a composite canoe! Tim went on to work for me as a Research Assistant for a few years after that, taking time off for training until the National Lottery stepped in with funding. They are both lovely lads and I could not be happier for them.”

Their success further cements the University’s reputation for producing world class canoeists, following medals in four previous Olympic Games:

  • Beijing 2008: Tim Brabants – gold and bronze / David Florence – silver
  • Athens 2004: Campbell Walsh – silver 
  • Sydney 2000: Tim Brabants – bronze
  • Barcelona 1992: Gareth Marriott – silver

Before the Games, David Florence said: “There’s always expectation on me from myself and also having won an Olympic medal there’s more external expectation. Having won that medal, I’ve decided to take up an additional category and do both singles and doubles which previously no one ever did.

“Having achieved that Olympic medal makes me freer to try a new challenge. And I know already, no matter what happens for the rest of my career, that I’ve achieved something really great that I’m very proud of.”

To read the full interview with David Florence, please click here. Or to read more about the University’s Olympic history, please see the online edition of Exchange: London 2012 Olympic Games Special

Posted in Alumniathletes