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Sport stars placed among all-time greats
The University has honoured the achievements of four of its champion sportsmen by inducting them into its Sports Hall of Fame.
The Sports Hall of Fame’s class of 2010 includes Olympic clay shooting gold medallist Bob Braithwaite, five-times Commonwealth diving gold medallist Peter Heatly, world champion orienteer Jonathon Duncan and European breaststroke champion Ian Edmond.
All four of the inductees developed their love of sport while they were students at Edinburgh.
Images of the celebrated Edinburgh graduates will now adorn the walls of the University’s Centre for Sport and Exercise and act as an inspiration to the current generation of students.
Celebrated graduates
Bob Braithwaite came to study at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at 16, captaining the University cricket side before concentrating on clay shooting.
A true, gifted amateur in an era of increasing professionalism, Bob came seventh in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics before taking gold in 1968 in Mexico.
Peter Heatly, who graduated in 1945, dominated the sport of diving in Scotland for more than 20 years.
He competed in two Olympics - London in 1948 and Helsinki in 1952 - and won gold in three consecutive Commonwealth Games from 1950 to 1958. He was knighted in 1992.
Recent athletes
Ian Edmond - who took two years out of his medical degree to concentrate on swimming - held two Commonwealth records and one European record.
He became European 200 metres breaststroke champion in 2003 - the same year as he clinched silver in the World Championships.
He also earned a place in the 2004 British Olympic team. Jonathon Duncan regularly achieved top ten placings in world level orienteering events - a remarkable feat as he maintained a career as a geologist.
He became a Great Britain international in 1997 and took gold at the World Championships in 2008.
Sports Hall of Fame
The Sports Hall of Fame, established in 2008, is open only to students, graduates and staff of the University.
Previous inductees include iconic athlete Eric Liddell, Olympians Sir Chris Hoy and Katherine Grainger, rugby greats Andy Irvine and Gregor Townsend and women’s football international, Julie Fleeting.
The selection process for the Sports Hall of Fame is rigorous and demanding. Inductees are recommended by the University’s Sports Awards Committee and approved by the Principal.
To be considered for selection individuals must have:
- achieved medal success at the very highest international level such as Olympic, Paralympic or Commonwealth Games or senior world or European championships;
- received more than 100 senior international caps;
- made an exceptional and sustained contribution to the administration of sport at the University; or
- achieved some other notable distinction.
A winning university
Our sports facilities and programmes are among the finest in the UK.
We were rated 4th out of 140 institutions in the Independent’s Complete University Guide 2008-09.
We provide bursaries, training programmes and a range of support services to help gifted students realise their sporting potential.
This article was published on Jun 17, 2010