Olympic champion congratulates sporting students

The University's sporting high-fliers recently celebrated their successes at the annual Blues and Colours awards ball - and were congratulated by guest speaker Rhona Martin MBE, the Olympic gold medal winning curling champion.

Winners of the best sports club of the year and most progressive sports club of the year awards were joined at the ball by the other Blues and Colours winners, who had received their awards from Principal Sir Alan Langlands at the official prize-giving ceremony. This year's sporting achievements have seen Dundee jump into the top thirty of 142 in the British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) League.

The coveted titles of Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year went to Neil McComb and Karen Rigby. This is the second year running that Neil, who plays for the rugby team has won the award. Karen is a member of the University's Swimming and Water Polo Club and has had a hugely successful year, including qualifying for the 2004 Olympic trials.

The 2004 Alistair Sankey Memorial award for the best first year athlete went to Mairi Crawford of the Ski and Snowboard Club. Mairi recently won the British Universities' Slalom, Giant Slalom and Super G titles at the British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) outdoor ski championships at Les Deux Alpes resort in France. She is a member of the Great Britain Ski team and Scottish Universities Alpine Ski Champion.

Sir Philip Cohen was also recognised for his outstanding performances and commitment to golf over the years with an Honorary R & A Golf Bursary Award.

Professor Peter Mossey of the University Dental School and Chairman of the British Universities Gaelic Games was awarded an Honorary Full Blue and he saluted the achievements of the Universities Gaelic teams, particularly the Hurling team and their captain student Paul Storan, who has put the University on the sporting map thanks to his hurling skills.

Peter said, "It is good to see the expansion of the less fashionable sports at the University. A couple of years ago, the mention of either hurling or curling at the Students' Union would have probably elicited a puzzled response - even among the Sports Executive of the Sports Union. Yet at the recent Blues and Colours Ball they were two of the celebrated sports."

Peter continued, "Rhona Martin was a gifted sportswoman in her chosen sport whose single minded determination helped her to win an Olympic gold medal.

Paul Storan is a top exponent of what is often described as the fastest field sport in the world and it is his speed that sets him apart.

The success of people like Rhona and Paul in their respective sports has made a real difference. The hurlers at the University of Dundee, in winning every competition they have entered over the last two years including two consecutive British Hurling Club Championships, has raised the awareness and profile of this sport. It is particularly exciting to note the similarity and reciprocity to the native Scottish sport of shinty and that moves are now afoot to enter a shinty team in the 2004 / 2005 Scottish University league."