Cumbrian student wins bronze medal at Wheelchair Rugby European Championship 2025
18-year-old Oli Wightman secured a bronze medal as part of the Great Britain team, which competed in the European Championships that took place at the Sportcampus Zuiderpark in The Hague, Netherlands between Tuesday, April 22 and Sunday, April 27.
The British team secured their medal with a 59-48 victory against Germany in the third-place playoff fixture.
After securing bronze as part of the GB wheelchair rugby team, Oli, who has only been playing wheelchair rugby for eight months, was on hand to express his delight and set his sights on the upcoming World Championships in 2026 and the 2028 Summer Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
He said: "It was an amazing experience, showing the world what I, and the GB team, have been working on, and the potential we have for the future.
"It was amazing seeing and playing against some of the world's best wheelchair rugby athletes. Even though we didn't get the result we were looking for, I think everyone was impressed with our performance and the new and young talent on the team.
"I can't wait until next year when we get to play against the top teams in the world at the world championships in Brazil.
"With the amount of new talent, I believe that our team has the most potential across the world, and next year will be our opportunity to test this.
"Hopefully, this will help us meet our end goal and my dream of winning gold at the 2028 Paralympics."
Oli was supported in The Hague by his dad Ian, who expressed his pride in his son's achievement and discussed his determination to become one of the best wheelchair rugby players in the world.
He said: "It was an outstanding achievement by the team to get bronze after only playing together for four months.
"They are a mixture of older, experienced players and some great new up-and-coming players.
"Oli has only been playing rugby for eight months and has had a whirlwind of a start to hopefully a very successful career
"Oli is a very talented and determined young player and wants to be one of the best in the world."
Oli is also a Year 13 student at Brampton's William Howard School, with headteacher Kath Pigdon, also congratulating the local athlete on his bronze medal win as part of the Great Britain wheelchair rugby team.
She said: "We are immensely proud of Oli for winning a bronze medal in the European Wheelchair Rugby Championship.
"Throughout the tournament, our entire school community has followed his journey with great excitement.
"Oli is not only an exceptional athlete but also an inspiring young person whose positivity and drive motivate everyone around him to be the best version of themselves. "
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cosmopolitan
an hour ago
- Cosmopolitan
Who is George Russell's girlfriend Carmen Mundt? Your 101 on the F1 Mercedes driver's relationship
ICYMI: the F1 British Grand Prix is currently ongoing at Silverstone. Yep, the high octane racing is back as the best in the sport battle it out. And with F1: The Movie in cinemas, Formula 1 is definitely in the zeitgeist. And one of the biggest names in the motorsports rn? George Russell: the British driver has won four Formula One Grands Prix and is only 27. One of our fave facts about him? He is in an adorbs af relationship with Carmen Montero Mundt. So, who is F1 WAG Carmen Montero Mundt? And how long have she and Russell been together? Keep scrolling for the full details. Mundt is the girlfriend of George Russell, the British F1 driver. She's often seen supporting him at events, travelling across the world to do so, and is known for her elegant personal style. Like George Russell, Mundt was born in 1998. Her birthday is 12 February, which makes her an Aquarius. She's 27 years old. Mundt was born in Spain but moved to the UK when she was 18. Mundt has a BA in Business Management and Finance from the University of Westminster and also has a Diploma in Asset Allocation and Risk Management from the University of Geneva. She's worked at Ruffer, a London-based asset manager and Delta, a business management consultant. Now, she doesn't appear to have a staff role in the financial sector but she has released an e-book called My Investing Journey and Learning with the platform Female Invest. She has spoken about how her interest in finance was sparked by her family's financial problems, with her father going bankrupt when Mundt was 10 years old. Currently she has over 600,000 followers on her Instagram @carmenmmundt. She also posts branded content with the likes of Alo and Dior. Mundt and Russell met in London through a mutual friend. They made their relationship public at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix. The couple celebrated their five-year anniversary in February 2025. These two are too cute!
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Arsenal signs Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad
LONDON (AP) — Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi joined Arsenal from Real Sociedad on Sunday, finally making the move to the Premier League after turning down Liverpool last year. The transfer fee wasn't disclosed but the BBC reported Arsenal has paid almost 60 million pounds ($82 million) for the 26-year-old Zubimendi. The holding midfielder made 236 appearances in all competitions for Sociedad after coming through the club's academy. He played there alongside Mikel Merino, who joined Arsenal last year. Zubimendi has played 19 games for Spain, including coming on as a half-time substitute in the 2-1 win over England in the 2024 European Championship final. 'I set my sights on Arsenal because their style of play is a good fit for me," Zubimendi said. "They have shown their potential recently and the best is yet to come.' Arsenal has finished second in the Premier League in each of the past three seasons. 'Martin is a player who will bring a huge amount of quality and football intelligence to our team," said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, a fellow Spaniard. 'He will fit in really well and he has all the attributes to be a key player for us.' Zubimendi slots into the squad in place of Thomas Partey, whose contract expired this summer. On Friday, Partey was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, British police said. ___
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Arsenal signs Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad
LONDON (AP) — Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi joined Arsenal from Real Sociedad on Sunday, finally making the move to the Premier League after turning down Liverpool last year. The transfer fee wasn't disclosed but the BBC reported Arsenal has paid almost 60 million pounds ($82 million) for the 26-year-old Zubimendi. The holding midfielder made 236 appearances in all competitions for Sociedad after coming through the club's academy. He played there alongside Mikel Merino, who joined Arsenal last year. Zubimendi has played 19 games for Spain, including coming on as a half-time substitute in the 2-1 win over England in the 2024 European Championship final. 'I set my sights on Arsenal because their style of play is a good fit for me,' Zubimendi said. 'They have shown their potential recently and the best is yet to come.' Arsenal has finished second in the Premier League in each of the past three seasons. 'Martin is a player who will bring a huge amount of quality and football intelligence to our team,' said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, a fellow Spaniard. 'He will fit in really well and he has all the attributes to be a key player for us.' Zubimendi slots into the squad in place of Thomas Partey, whose contract expired this summer. On Friday, Partey was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, British police said. ___ AP soccer:
