13 Aug 08

Daisy Dick has ridden her horse, Spring Along, to a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics.

A former Oxford University student has won a bronze medal in the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Oxford-born Daisy Dick won Team GB’s second bronze medal on Tuesday, as part of the Eventing team.

She studied Zoology at Worcester College, graduating in 1993, and rowed for her college and represented the University at Lacrosse. Daisy comes from a sporting background as her father won the Grand National in 1956.

The University staff and students are proudly supporting eighteen alumni who are taking part in this year’s Beijing Olympics.

The Oxford sportspeople are participating in athletics, equestrian events, rowing, and racewalking with 11 making up part of Team GB, three representing the USA, two Canada, one New Zealand and one representing Croatia.

Following Oxford’s tradition of producing top rowers, 14 of the Olympians are competing in rowing events, while the other four are taking part in racewalking, equestrian and athletics.

Jon Roycroft, Oxford University’s Director of Sport said: ‘It is always immensely heartening to see the names of Oxford alumni appearing in national and international sporting events but when the four year Olympic cycle comes round, it really sinks home how successful Oxford still is at nurturing and developing sporting excellence. We are exceptionally proud of all our students who go onto represent their countries at the Olympics and we wish them every success in Beijing.’

Oxford alumna, Daisy Dick (above, far left), was part of the Great Britain eventing team who won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics.

The Oxford University alumni taking part in the Olympics are:

Daisy (Catherine) Dick (Individual and Team Eventing)
Worcester, 1990
Oxford-born Daisy has been eventing at the top level for fifteen years and won a team gold in the European Championships last year. She has taken her horse, Spring Along, to the Beijing Olympics after being brought into the team, along with Tina Cook, to replace Zara Phillips and Lucy Wiegersma.

Hatti Dean (3000m Steeplechase)
Keble, 2000
Outdoors Hatti has consistently been Britain’s top steeplechaser and set three national records in 2007.

Mara Yamauchi (Marathon)
St Anne’s, 1992
Mara is based in Japan and holds the second fastest time for a British woman in the marathon after Paula Radcliffe.

Tim Berrett (50km racewalk)
Brasenose, 1983
British-born Tim is racing for Canada where he lives, and this is his fifth consecutive Olympics.

Robin Bourne-Taylor (Rowing – pair)
Christ Church, 2000
Three times Boat Race winner with Oxford, former Oxford University Boat Club President Robin has two bronze medals in the World Championships.

Helen Casey (Rowing - Lightweight Double Scull)
Worcester, 1995
As well as being a qualified doctor, Helen won GB's first Olympic Class World Championship medal for lightweight women in 2002 and competed at Athens.

Paul Mattick (Rowing - Lightweight Four)
Hertford, 1999
Paul is the reigning World Champion in the lightweight men's four and has competed in the lightweight men’s sweep squad at the World Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Acer Nethercott (Rowing – Eight (cox))
University, 1996
Well known for coxing Oxford in the Boat Race, Acer has coxed the GB Eight for the past three seasons, winning bronze at the 2007 World Championships in Munich.

Peter Reed (Rowing – Four)
Oriel, 2003
Peter is a Lieutenant in Royal Navy who had never sat in a boat before 2002. He completed his Masters at Oxford where he rowed in the Boat Race.

Colin Smith (Rowing – Eight)
St Catherines, 2003
Colin is a British citizen but a native Zimbabwean. He won bronze in the pair at the 2007 World Championships in Munich and won gold in the pair at the first World Cup and in the eight at the second.

Andy Triggs-Hodge (Rowing – Four)
St Catherines, 2004
Part of the Great Britain senior eight which won World Championships bronze in Milan in 2003. His crew came 9th in Athens.

Jamie Schroeder (Rowing - Quadruple Sculls)
Doctoral Research at Oxford University Cardiac Metabolism Research Group, 2005, Christ Church
Before the Olympics, the US quadruple scull competed in the 2008 World Cup. The quad, with Jamie in the three seat, overcame the 3-year undefeated World Champion Polish quad to win a gold medal.

Tom Solesbury (Rowing – Pairs)
Due to start MSc in Management Research at Said Business School next year
Tom only joined the GB senior rowing squad in 2005, however he won a bronze medal in the eight at the 2007 World Rowing Championships.

George Bridgewater (Rowing)
New Zealand rower, due to come to Oxford to study for his MBA after the Olympics, Oriel
Bridgewater and Nathan Twaddle are former world coxless pair champions and strong medal prospects at Beijing. He is hoping to make the Oxford rowing eight and participate in the Boat Race.

Jen Goldsack (Rowing - Lightweight Double Sculls)
Somerville, 2000
After losing her place on the GB team due to an injury, Jen is now rowing for the US thanks to her American mother. She got a silver medal in the World Championships last year and is a medal contender in Beijing.

Ante Kusurin (Rowing – Double Skull)
St Catherines 2006
Ante is competing for Croatia. Finished second in the double sculls B finals at both the Gifu 2005 and Eton 2006 World Championships

Buffy Williams (Rowing – Eight)
Canadian rower Buffy won a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the eights event and has five World Championship medals. She is married to Canadian rower and Oxford alumnus Barney Williams.

Jake Wetzel (Rowing - Eight)
Masters in Financial Economics, 2005-2006
Jake rows for Canada in their men's eight.

Chris Liwski (Rowing – Spare) 
Blue 2005
Chris is rowing for the USA.