Bath Celebrates Paris Olympic Selection For Three Internationals From Angola, Kenya & Nigeria
Three international swimmers who have successfully combined training and studying at the University of Bath are celebrating after qualifying to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Chemical Engineering student Henrique Mascarenhas will represent Angola in the 100m freestyle, while Ridhwan Mohamed – who studies Automotive Engineering with Business Management – will contest the 400m freestyle for Kenya on the opening day of competition in the Paris La Defense Arena.
Tobi Sijuade, who continues to train full-time with the University of Bath Swimming Club after graduating in Health and Exercise Science in 2023, will line up for Nigeria in a 50m freestyle field also featuring club colleague and former training partner Ben Proud of Team GB.
“Competing at the Olympics has always been a dream of mine and it’s a goal I’ve been particularly obsessed with achieving since the age of 13,” said Mascarenhas, who has previously represented Angola at the World Championships.
“That was when I asked my parents if I could leave home and go overseas to improve my swimming and, of course, balance my academic studies. I lived in Cape Town, South Africa for four years before moving to England, and now here I am at the University of Bath.
“The University has played a massive part in helping me to achieve this goal. I have been able to split my academic year to balance my commitments and it definitely helps training on campus too. We train early in the morning and again in the afternoon but the lecture halls are just a 10-minute walk away. The coaches and lecturers are aware of what is happening in our lives, so it is a nice partnership.”
Henrique Mascarenhas of Angola, photo courtesy of Bath University
Mohamed added: “I joined the University last September as I felt change was good for me going into an Olympic year. I remember visiting Bath for the first time and seeing the city, which is very beautiful, then making my way up to the University to the campus and Sports Training Village (STV).
“It is a great place to be if you want to achieve big and has some of the best sporting facilities I’ve seen. Seeing the Olympic gold-medallists who also train here motivates you every day and makes you want to push yourself even more.
“It doesn’t feel real yet to be going to the Olympics and I don’t think it will really sink in until I step into the Athletes Village. I’m very excited and happy that I’ve been able to make my parents, family, friends and coaches proud.”
Photo: Ridhwan Mohamed of Kenya, courtesy of Bath University
Sijuade said: “I’m ecstatic. I’ve been swimming competitively for 13 years and it feels very exciting to know I’m going to be out there in Paris, racing against the big guys I’ve watched on TV for many years. I want to go out there, show people what I am capable of and do the best job possible for Nigeria.
“Also, how exciting is it to have three members of our squad qualify for Paris? It just shows the depth in talent we have and that the coaches are producing results. It’s so nice to see the smiles on people’s faces after all the work that has been put in. It’s good to be able to go out there together, represent our countries together and hopefully enjoy ourselves together.
“When I graduated last summer I was keen to stay on as I knew this was the best place to keep progressing. This is my fourth year on the programme and I’ve enjoyed every moment.”
Tobi Sijuade, of Nigeria – photo courtesy of Bath University
Mascarenhas and Mohamed are supported in their dual careers by the Student Performance Sport Breakthrough Programme. Both are coached by Andrei Vorontsov, the University’s Assistant Swimming Coach who is no stranger to working with Olympic swimmers having previously been Head Coach for his native Russia at London 2012 and Sweden at Rio 2016.
“Henrique and Ridhwan are very intelligent, very accurate and fully committed to their swimming training, as well as their studies at the University, and I am proud they have qualified to represent their countries in Paris,” said Vorontsov, who has also guided Sports Performance student Joshua Gammon to back-to-back British titles and his senior Aquatics GB debut at this summer’s European Championships in Belgrade.
Sijuade, supported by the University’s Full-Time Athlete programme, is coached by Mark Skimming, the University’s Head of Swimming who has previously worked with a host of Olympians including Proud and reigning champion Anna Hopkin. He also coaches the Pentathlon GB squad including Tokyo 2020 gold-medallists Joe Choong and Kate French, both of whom will be looking to defend their titles in Paris.
“We are so proud of Henrique, Ridhwan and Tobi,” said Skimming. “The ambition of myself, Andrei and the swimming programme is all about helping people get as far as they can and the Olympic Games are the pinnacle of that.
“We have a really good group of people on the programme who are all competitive and make each other accountable. As coaches we are always encouraging the swimmers to ask more of themselves but we are also there to support them as students. Our main aim is for people to leave here with a great degree and to have swum faster than they ever have before.”
The trio’s selection means that nine swimmers who train at the University of Bath will be competing at Paris 2024. Reigning champions Tom Dean and Freya Anderson will be joined at the Olympics by Aquatics GB Bath Performance Centre team-mates Kieran Bird, Jacob Whittle and Economics & Mathematics student Leah Crisp, while Suzanna Hext is competing at the Paralympics.
A-level student Tilly Collymore, who will represent Grenada at Paris 2024 in the 100m freestyle, is also training with Skimming in the final build-up to the Games.
Thank you to Bath University’s swim unit for submitting this story.