Bath sports scholar Kate Shortman officially selected to represent Team GB Artistic Swimming at the 2024 Paris Olympics
May 14, 2024
University of Bath sports scholar Kate Shortman has today been officially selected to represent Team GB at this summer's Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
It will be the second Games for artistic swimmers Shortman and duet partner Izzy Thorpe, following their debut at Tokyo 2020, and they have won a number of ground-breaking medals in the past 12 months. I'm planning to go to Paris in May.
The duo, who train in Bristol, achieved Britain's first duet medal at the world championships in February, winning silver in the technical routine and bronze in the free skate, achieving the Paris qualification criteria. Shortman and Thorpe followed that up with a World Cup technical gold medal at the Paris 2024 official test event at the new Olympic Aquatics Center earlier this month.
Mr Shortman, who studied International Management and Modern Languages (French) at the university and is supported by a Bill Whiteley Scholarship, said: Since he already has experience in Tokyo, he expects an even more intense battle this time.
“I’m so excited to be able to swim in front of my friends and family and feel the audience cheering me on so loudly.”
Shortman is the second active sports scholar from the University of Bath to be officially selected for the Paris 2024 Games, joining the Team GB team alongside marathon swimmer Leah Crisp, an Economics Mathematics student and Santander Scholar. ing.
Tom Dean will also be going to Paris, but like Shortman, he was supported by the Bill Whiteley Scholarship, famous for winning the Tokyo 2020 pool competition double. The swim team also includes Freya Anderson, Kieran Bird and Jacob Whittle. Team Bath Sports Training Village Aquatics GB Bath Performance Center and training with Ben Proud from Bath University Swimming Club.
The formal selection came just days after Shortman, Thorpe and Artistic Swimming Manager Karen Thorpe were invited to an audience with His Majesty King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.
The Paris 2024 Duet Competition will be held on Friday, August 9th (technical) and Saturday, August 10th (free).
Paris 2024 Team GB Mission Director Mark England said: “Izzy and Kate have gone from strength to strength since their Olympic debut in Tokyo three years ago.
“We were delighted to see GB win their first duet medal in artistic swimming with a world silver medal and qualify for the Paris Games in style earlier this year. Recent test events That they followed this up with a gold medal is a testament to the hard work and dedication they and their team put in.”
To find out more about how University of Bath sports scholarships support talented student-athletes, visit teambath.com/scholarships.
