University of Nottingham Athletes Dominate 2026 BUCS Nationals, Securing Record Gold Medals

University of Nottingham athletes achieved a historic performance at the 2026 British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Nationals in Sheffield, returning with a university-record 14 senior gold medals. Competing across athletics, badminton, fencing, karate, climbing, and swimming, the University of Nottingham secured national titles in five of the six sports over the weekend.

The event, held from February 13th to 15th, brought together the country’s top university athletes for one of the highlight events in the student sports calendar.

Fencing Sets the Early Tone

Nottingham’s fencing squad kicked off the championships with early success, winning the first medals of the weekend. Wilf Broughton secured gold in the Mixed Foil, while Isabella-Andreea Niculai claimed victory in the Women’s Épée. Rachael Lever added to the tally with a bronze in the Women’s Épée. Louis Taiwo continued the success, winning gold in the Mixed Épée, improving from a top-eight finish the previous year.

Taiwo expressed his excitement, stating, “It feels unbelievable to win gold. I had my predecessors Florin Mirica and James Jeal win this title the last two years, so I wanted to keep the tradition going and keep the title in Nottingham!”

Success Across Multiple Disciplines

Ali Al Mubarak marked his BUCS Nationals debut with a gold medal in the Men’s Shot Put, registering a throw of 17.35m. In badminton, Abi Hong and Chloe Davies secured gold in the Women’s Doubles, upgrading their bronze medal from the previous year. Luke Salwey and Jacob Weekes won silver in the Men’s Doubles, and Katherine Arksey and Lucy Dodd added a bronze in the Women’s Doubles, demonstrating the strength of Nottingham’s badminton program.

Izzie Leigh added another national title in swimming, winning gold in the Women’s 50m Backstroke. University of Nottingham Head Coach Ryan Webb commented, “BUCS Nationals were a huge success for the team. We delivered our highest ever number of final appearances and broke 10 club records along the way. Beyond the performances, what stood out most was the camaraderie, professionalism, and visible pride in representing the Green and Gold.”

Karate Dominates the Competition

Karate proved to be a central pillar of Nottingham’s medal success, delivering a dominant performance across Kata and Kumite events. The University of Nottingham won gold in the Open Team Kata with the team of Eve Holdsworth, Amelia Clow, Amy Dixon, and Elizabeth Howlett. Individual titles were secured by Eve Holdsworth in the Women’s Individual Kata and Cameron Panday in the Men’s Individual Kata.

Further gold medals followed in Kumite events through Kobe Yogarajah (-60kg), Jenna Cato (-55kg), Tahlia Blake (-61kg), James Walker (-84kg) and Jacob Cutler (+84kg). Additional podium finishes included silver medals and bronze medals across multiple weight classes.

Record-Breaking Performance and Future Outlook

With national champions crowned across athletics, fencing, badminton, karate, and swimming, and a record 14 gold medals achieved – an improvement of three from the previous year – the University of Nottingham demonstrated the strength and depth of its performance sport program.

Alex Perry, Assistant Director of Sport (Performance), reflected on the achievements, stating, “Everyone at University of Nottingham Sport is incredibly proud of all the students who represented us this past weekend. The momentous results of 2026 are a testament to the dedication of our athletes, coaches and support staff to achieving their best and reflect the commitment made throughout the year, both on and off the field.”

Attention now turns to the remainder of the 2025/26 season, with teams aiming for further success at BUCS Big Wednesday 2026. Follow the action at uonsport.tv and on the University of Nottingham’s social media channels.

Photography credits: BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport)

Notes for editors: University of Nottingham is ranked 2nd in the overall British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) rankings for the 2023/24 season. For more information on the performance sport offer, click here.