Rapturous homecoming for Stirling’s Olympic swimmers

University of Stirling swimmers who competed at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris – winning three medals – have received a rapturous reception on their return to campus.

Students, staff, alumni and members of the public turned out in huge numbers to welcome the athletes back to their training base at Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence earlier today.

It was a special moment for the group – the largest Stirling contingent to compete at a single Olympics – as they received a guard of honour from well-wishers and were presented with a surprise celebratory cake in recognition of their achievements at the Games.

Schoolchildren from a local primary school also joined in the fun – meeting all the athletes and having the opportunity to see their medals up close. The schoolchildren presented the athletes with a framed picture as a memento of their achievements in Paris, and the children were given goodie bags from University of Stirling Sport.

Eileen Schofield, Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary, (front left) and Professor Sir Gerry McCormac, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, (front right) were among those to welcome the athletes back to campus.

David Bond, Head of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “It has been fantastic to see the University of Stirling community come together to celebrate the achievements of our Olympians in Paris.

“As Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence, sport is very much a part of our DNA here at Stirling and it runs throughout our students, staff, alumni and members of the wider community. They have turned out in great numbers to welcome home our Olympians, who have undoubtedly inspired another generation to embrace sport and pursue their dreams.”

Local school pupil Robyn presented Duncan Scott with an Olympic medal she had made.

In Paris, Duncan Scott added a gold and silver medal to his honours, to became Scotland’s most decorated Olympian. Fellow Stirling swimmer Jack McMillan also won gold. They were joined at the Olympics by fellow Team GB swimmers Kathleen Dawson, Keanna MacInnes, Katie Shanahan, Angharad Evans and Lucy Hope, as well as Zimbabwean Paige van der Westhuizen.

All eight athletes are on the University’s world-leading high-performance swim programme, which provides athletes with a bespoke package of world-class coaching, access to state-of-the-art facilities, performance mentoring and access to the latest innovations in sports research. Those on scholarships can also benefit from academic flexibility to support their education alongside their sporting ambitions.