Dillian Whyte, who trains at Loughborough University, beat Oscar Rivas in thrilling heavyweight bout.

Dillian Whyte, who trains at Loughborough University, beat Oscar Rivas in a thrilling heavyweight bout. Photo credit: Ben Lumley.

Loughborough-based athletes in record breaking weekend

Elite level athletes based at Loughborough University enjoyed a thrilling weekend of competition, which saw records tumble and championships secured across multiple sports.

Boxer Dillian Whyte, who trains at the University and is supported by Loughborough Sport’s performance team, beat Oscar Rivas in a thrilling heavyweight bout at the O2 Arena. The 31-year-old’s victory confirms his position as the mandatory challenger for the WBC (World Boxing Council) world title.

In the pool, Adam Peaty became the first man to swim the 100m breaststroke in under 57 seconds as he won his semi-final at the World Championships in South Korea – breaking his own world record in the process with a time of 56.88.

In the Netball World Cup, Loughborough Lightning captain Nat Panagarry helped England to bronze after a comprehensive 58-42 victory over South Africa. After being edged out by eventual winners New Zealand on Saturday, the Red Roses bounced back to secure a third-place finish in front of another packed crowd in Liverpool.

At the Anniversary Games in London, sprinter Beth Dobbin broke her own Scottish record with a storming run in the 200m. Finishing third in a competitive field, Dobbin ran a personal best of 22.50 seconds for her quickest time of the year.

"I had a bit of a stumble with my second step and started to panic," Dobbin told BBC Sport. "I thought 'I really need to get going' and it actually gave me a kick up the bum.

"It always takes me a couple of races to get into the swing of things and I've delayed my season because of the World Championships in Doha. I hadn't broken 23 seconds this season yet, so I was a bit worried, but to run a PB - I can't ask for any more."

Loughborough’s Sophie Hahn also impressed at the Games, taking victory in T35-38 100m, crossing the line with a time of 12.45 seconds.

The annual Loughborough European Athletics Permit (LEAP) event takes place on campus at the Paula Radcliffe Stadium on Tuesday 6 August 2019. Tickets can be purchased by visiting here, with gates open from 1pm.

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: 19/107

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Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2019 QS World University Rankings, University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2019 and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.

Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

 

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Meet the #LboroGameChangers at lboro.ac.uk/lborogamechangers

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