QUT elite athletes are adding to the Australian team’s haul of medals in Birmingham with a gold medal winning individual performance from gymnast Georgia Godwin and silver to swimmer Sam Short at this year’s 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Medal tally for QUT students: 3
- Georgia Godwin – Gold for Women’s Artistic All-Around and silver for teams event
- Sam Short – Silver for 400m men’s freestyle
Swimming, athletics, badminton, diving, and gymnastics are among the sports eight QUT athletes are competing against the best from more than 70 countries.
Georgia Godwin did one better than her silver performance at the Gold Coast 2018 games by securing gold in Birmingham for the Women’s Artistic All-Around with a score of 53.550. She also won silver with her teamates for the team’s event.
The Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology student started in gymnastics when she was three when her parents enrolled her in the local PCYC program.
18-year-old swimmer Samuel Short (top feature image above left and pictured below right), is studying dual science and law honours degrees, hopes to add to his own medal tally when he competes in the 1500m men’s freestyle.
He is a recipient of a joint QUT-AIS Scholarship, the first of its kind to be announced last year.
Olympics and Commonwealth games veteran Mitch Larkin (below left), who studies Property Economics, is vying for a third consecutive gold in the 200m men’s backstroke.
Larkin will also compete in the Individual Medley and Medley Relay.
24-year-old Jacinta Beecher, who studies law, is competing in the 200m track and 4 x 100m relay and will be joined trackside by QUT law alumnus Henry Frayne who is attending his third Commonwealth Games in men’s triple jump and long jump.
He won silver in 2018 at the Gold Coast games.
“I am very appreciative of QUT’s support as I continue to prepare for my maiden senior Australian team,” Ms Beecher said.
Going into her third Commonwealth Games, Georgia Sheehan 23, is hoping to add to her gold and silver medals tally.
Awarded a Vice-Chancellor Scholarship and studying a Bachelor of Creative Industries the former gymnast turned diver will again compete in the women’s 1m and 3m springboard events.
Two-time Badminton Olympian and again representing Australia for a second Commonwealth Games, Wendy Chen will compete in both doubles and singles events.
The Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology won the women’s singles titles at the Oceania Championships in six consecutive years.
Bachelor of Medical Imaging (Honours) student Ryan Maskelyne represented Papua New Guinea and made the men’s final in the breastroke.
The eight athletes have been supported with their studies through the QUT Elite Athlete Program.
QUT’s Sports Manager Emily Rosemond said it was great to see a mix of experienced and new QUT student athletes representing Australia.
“We’re looking forward to watching the events from afar, it’s always a highlight for students and staff on campus, and whilst we’re not there, we enjoy broadcasting the events to our offices and student spaces,” she said.
