As the academic year draws to a close, current TeamUCL Gold Elite Athlete and GB Canoe Slalom Athlete, Lois Leaver has had a spectacular start to July! Lois recently competed at the 2024 Junior & U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships in Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia, where she clinched a stunning gold medal in the K1 event. She had this to say about her experience:

"The race was held in Liptovský Mikuláš in Slovakia, I haven’t raced there before so it was a new venue for me and I really enjoyed getting to know the water. I qualified in 4th place in both the heats and semi finals and didn’t have a finish place in mind before the finals, only to improve on my performance from semi finals, which I did! This is my first individual medal and for it to be gold feels very surreal! I’m also the first British kayak women to win an U23 World Championships"

Lois Leaver with her fellow competitors on the podium after claiming her first ever individual gold medal.

There was also incredibly exciting news for former TeamUCL Elite Athlete and UCL Alumnus, Toby Harries, who has been named in the TeamGB Athletics squad for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris! Toby will be competing in the 4x400m men's relay and we'll be hoping that it's a brilliant performance from Toby and the rest of TeamGB.

Toby Harries rocking his new TeamGB Olympic Kit.

Applications for the TeamUCL Elite Athlete Support Programme are now open for the 2024-25 academic year. Applications will close on Monday 05 August for returning Elite Athletes, and Sunday 01 September for new applicants to the programme.