logo
Cumbrian student wins bronze medal at Wheelchair Rugby European Championship 2025

Cumbrian student wins bronze medal at Wheelchair Rugby European Championship 2025

Yahoo03-05-2025
A Cumbrian student has helped Team GB secure a bronze medal at the Wheelchair Rugby European Championships.
18-year-old Oli Wightman secured a bronze medal as part of the Great Britain team, which competed in the European Championships that took place at the Sportcampus Zuiderpark in The Hague, Netherlands between Tuesday, April 22 and Sunday, April 27.
The British team secured their medal with a 59-48 victory against Germany in the third-place playoff fixture.
After securing bronze as part of the GB wheelchair rugby team, Oli, who has only been playing wheelchair rugby for eight months, was on hand to express his delight and set his sights on the upcoming World Championships in 2026 and the 2028 Summer Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
He said: "It was an amazing experience, showing the world what I, and the GB team, have been working on, and the potential we have for the future.
"It was amazing seeing and playing against some of the world's best wheelchair rugby athletes. Even though we didn't get the result we were looking for, I think everyone was impressed with our performance and the new and young talent on the team.
"I can't wait until next year when we get to play against the top teams in the world at the world championships in Brazil.
"With the amount of new talent, I believe that our team has the most potential across the world, and next year will be our opportunity to test this.
"Hopefully, this will help us meet our end goal and my dream of winning gold at the 2028 Paralympics."
Oli was supported in The Hague by his dad Ian, who expressed his pride in his son's achievement and discussed his determination to become one of the best wheelchair rugby players in the world.
He said: "It was an outstanding achievement by the team to get bronze after only playing together for four months.
"They are a mixture of older, experienced players and some great new up-and-coming players.
"Oli has only been playing rugby for eight months and has had a whirlwind of a start to hopefully a very successful career
"Oli is a very talented and determined young player and wants to be one of the best in the world."
Oli is also a Year 13 student at Brampton's William Howard School, with headteacher Kath Pigdon, also congratulating the local athlete on his bronze medal win as part of the Great Britain wheelchair rugby team.
She said: "We are immensely proud of Oli for winning a bronze medal in the European Wheelchair Rugby Championship.
"Throughout the tournament, our entire school community has followed his journey with great excitement.
"Oli is not only an exceptional athlete but also an inspiring young person whose positivity and drive motivate everyone around him to be the best version of themselves. "
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'SELFISH' £50m Liverpool forward admits it could be time to move
'SELFISH' £50m Liverpool forward admits it could be time to move

Yahoo

time7 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

'SELFISH' £50m Liverpool forward admits it could be time to move

There are STILL several moving parts to Liverpool's summer transfer window. We have seen Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili arrive for well over £250m combined but the Reds aren't stopping there. Incredibly, a chase for Alexander Isak is still possible - with Newcastle's centre-forward potentially coming in for a British record fee. LFC x New Era Shop Now LFC Signed Merch Shop Now LFC x Titleist Shop Now The signing of so many capable forward players spells danger for some of Arne Slot's 2024/25 Premier League winners. Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez are at immediate risk. Diaz, 28, is adamant about gaining a summer transfer to Bayern Munich while Nunez is the subject of approaches from Saudi Arabia. Elliott considering his future With Ekitike and Wirtz coming into the club, it could mean limited opportunities for Liverpool's South American duo. Also at risk is . The England under-21 attacking midfielder has enjoyed a decent summer - helping his country to the UEFA Euro U21 crown - but is facing an uncertain future at club level. Having made only TWO Premier League starts last season, the 22-year-old is arguably even further down the pecking order following the arrival of Florian Wirtz. With Mo Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai already ahead of him in his preferred positions, Wirtz will complicate Elliott's quest for minutes even further. It's why the player is said to be considering a transfer - and he has admitted to the Anfield Wrap that it might be time to move on. "Selfish" Elliott knows the writing is on the wall Describing his outlook as 'selfish', Elliott remarked on the number of incomings that had been conducted by sporting director Richard Hughes this summer. He would be a reluctant departure - given his status as a Liverpool fan - but in a World Cup year he has got to do what is best for his career. 'Look, if I had it my way, I'd be here for the rest of my career, it's as simple as that, I love everything about the club,' Elliott said. 'But at the same time I kind of need to be selfish with myself and see what's best for me. 'I have big ambitions. I want to go to the World Cup. I want to keep being successful as a player. 'I think it's still something I need to review. I need to have a talk with everyone, really and review the situation because we've had many new players come in, so whether it blocks the path for me I'm not sure, it's something I need to decide and have a look at. 'My main focus is here now. At the moment I'm here for the season, as far as I'm aware, unless if anything changes, we have a busy pre-season, it's non-stop, I need to make sure I'm focus on that and just be ready for everything.' Elliott is currently with the Liverpool squad in Asia for preseason. His fate is undecided with the likes of as interested in his signature. Liverpool could seek a fee of around £50m for the two-time title winner - who is under contract until 2027. **👉 **Liverpool set to increase transfer budget by £200m 🔗

Newcastle insist Alexander Isak 'not for sale' as PIF intervene
Newcastle insist Alexander Isak 'not for sale' as PIF intervene

Yahoo

time37 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Newcastle insist Alexander Isak 'not for sale' as PIF intervene

Newcastle United's stance on Alexander Isak remains firm — the striker is not for sale. However, the ultimate decision over his future will lie in the hands of chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), in a saga that has begun to ripple through the club just as they embark on their pre-season tour of the Far East. Telegraph Sport has revealed that PIF, the majority owners of the club, will have the final say on Isak's future. Despite growing speculation, including serious interest from Premier League champions Liverpool, there remains a defiant mood within St James' Park. Liverpool have indicated a willingness to shatter the British transfer record with a bid of £120 million for the Swedish international. While eye-catching, such a sum falls well short of Newcastle's valuation, which is believed to exceed £150 million. No formal offer has yet been submitted, but that could change in the coming days as Liverpool seek to test Newcastle's resolve. Isak, 25, has three years remaining on his current deal and has been unequivocally told by the club that he is not available for transfer this summer. Nonetheless, rumours that the forward is open to exploring his options have unsettled the squad and caught the coaching staff off guard. Newcastle's unexpected move in recent days to assess a deal for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško has only added fuel to the fire. Šeško has long been admired by the Magpies' recruitment team, but it remains unclear whether he is being lined up as a partner for Isak — or as a potential successor. The involvement of Al-Rumayyan in this matter is highly unusual. The PIF chairman typically maintains a low profile in the daily operations of the club, preferring to leave footballing decisions to head coach Eddie Howe and his staff. But with Isak's future now seen as a matter of strategic significance, PIF have decided to take direct control. The timing of the developments has also caused unrest. Eddie Howe and his squad landed in Singapore early Friday for their pre-season preparations, only to be blindsided by media reports suggesting Isak wanted to reconsider his future. Teammates were reportedly confused by the situation, especially as Isak had earlier told the group he was sidelined with an injury. The coming weeks promise to be pivotal. While Newcastle remain adamant that Isak is central to their ambitions, the fact that the highest levels of club ownership are now involved suggests this is far more than routine transfer chatter. One thing is certain: if Liverpool do formalise their interest with a record-breaking bid, the pressure on PIF and Al-Rumayyan to either stand firm or cash in will reach boiling point. 📸 Stu Forster - 2025 Getty Images

GB's Thorpe & Tomblin win world synchronised bronze
GB's Thorpe & Tomblin win world synchronised bronze

Yahoo

time37 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

GB's Thorpe & Tomblin win world synchronised bronze

Izzy Thorpe and Ranjuo Tomblin have won Great Britain's first medal of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. They scored 322.0583 points in the synchronised mixed duet free event to win bronze and claim GB's first ever medal in the event. It was a tight contest for a podium place, with just 1.7980 points separating first and third. Spain's Dennis Gonzalez Boneu and Iris Tio won gold, while six-time artistic swimming champion Aleksandr Maltsev and partner Olesia Platonova - who are Russian but compete as neutral athletes - took silver. The British duo had the highest difficulty and execution score in the final despite only competing together once before. Olympic silver medallist Thorpe and rising-star Tomblin won silver in the mixed duet technical event at the European Championships last month. They have both enjoyed successful seasons as Tomblin became the first British male to win a European artistic swimming title last year, while Thorpe won GB's first synchronised medal at the Olympics in Paris 2024.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store