Meet the Cambridge 2024 Olympians
Athletics
Amy Hunt (Corpus Christi 2020)
Amy competed in Paris at her first Olympic Games, and at 22 she already boasted an impressive set of medals and records. In June 2019, Hunt set a new world record for under-18 women in Mannheim. She clocked in at 22.42s in the 200m junior race and has since achieved gold medals in the 200m and 4x100m races at the European Under-20 Championship.
In 2020, Amy joined Corpus Christi to read English and balanced her Cambridge degree with training for her entrance into senior athletics. Unfortunately, she was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a serious injury, which she underwent surgery for in 2022.
Amy chose to prioritise her final exams in 2023. She managed her rehabilitation gracefully and returned to the 2024 European Championships, earning a gold medal as part of the Great Britain women's 4x100m team.
Amy competed in Paris for Great Britain as part of 4x100 metres relay squad, winning a Silver Medal!
In 2020, Amy won the 60-metre British indoor title in Glasgow. Photo: Mark Shearman
In 2020, Amy won the 60-metre British indoor title in Glasgow. Photo: Mark Shearman
Cycling
Anna Kiesenhofer (Emmanuel 2011)
Anna Kiesenhofer's first win in the Tokyo Olympic Games left viewers in awe. She achieved a gold medal for Austria in the Women's Road Race ahead of Annemiek van Vleuten, crossing the finish line with a lead of more than a minute.
This victory is particularly remarkable as at the time, Anna did not have a contract with a professional cycle racing team and was a relatively unknown athlete.
Her gold medal was Austria's first Summer Olympics gold medal since 2004 and their first cycling Olympic gold medal since 1896.
After studying mathematics at the Vienna University of Technology, Anna completed her master's degree at Emmanuel College. She was an avid member of both the Cambridge University Cycling Club and the Cambridge University Triathlon Club. She competed in the Varsity Match 25-mile time trial and numerous British Universities and Colleges Sport events in 2012 and 2013.
She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in mathematics at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and has made notable contributions to the field of mathematics alongside making Olympic history.
Photo: @olivierzingg
Photo: @olivierzingg
Anna competed in Paris in the Women's Time Trial, where she sustained an injury to her elbow after a fall in the incredibly difficult weather conditions. She also competed in the Women's Road Race, clocking a time of 4:07:16.
Sailing
Hannah Snellgrove (Gonville & Caius 2009)
Hannah has represented Great Britain in the ILCA 6 class at multiple world championships and competed in her first Games this year.
She recovered from a back injury in 2022 and during her rehabilitation considered retirement. However, after finishing 11th in the 2023 Sailing World Championships, she secured a Team GB quota spot in the Paris Games.
Hannah was a member of the British Sailing Team in 2011 and has self-funded her sailing career through performing, coaching, and as a professional journalist. She has described her selection as a "26-year project" and is delighted with her journey in the sailing world.
During her time at Cambridge, Hannah proved herself to be an academic powerhouse. After receiving an unconditional offer from Gonville & Caius, she successfully balanced her sailing career — competing in numerous championships — with her degree. While training rigorously, Hannah also earned a First in Natural Sciences and won the John Reekie Memorial Prize for her undergraduate dissertation.
Hannah Snellgrove. Photo: Sailing Energy
Hannah Snellgrove. Photo: Sailing Energy
Hannah competed in Paris for Great Britain in the Women's Dinghy race, coming 12th place overall out of 43 entrants.
Rowing
Men's Pair
Ollie Wynne-Griffith (Peterhouse 2021)
Originally a rugby player, Ollie sustained multiple shoulder injuries that instead led him to pursue a career in rowing. He has since won medals on both bowside and strokeside in the GB Rowing Team, after joining the squad in 2017.
He completed an MBA at the Cambridge Judge Business School and competed in the 2022 Men's Boat Race with his Olympic Pairs partner Tom George. Ollie and Tom are long-time friends and were reunited at Peterhouse College as postgraduate students.
Ollie's great-grandfather competed at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, and he carries this family legacy with him into his races.
Ollie Wynne-Griffith. Photo: @olliewg1994
Ollie Wynne-Griffith. Photo: @olliewg1994
After previously competing in the Men's 8 at the 2020 Games, Ollie returned to compete in the Men's Pair this year.
Tom George (Peterhouse 2021)
Tom joined his teammate as a competitor in Tokyo 2020 and was a member of the Men's 8 that won a bronze medal. Tom holds several medals for European and World Championships. Most impressively, in 2020 he was the first British rower to go under 5 mins 40 secs for a 2km erg. Tom still holds this record at 5:39:3.
Tom's record-breaking erg at the Goldie Boathouse, Cambridge. Photo: @tomgeorge1994
Tom's record-breaking erg at the Goldie Boathouse, Cambridge. Photo: @tomgeorge1994
While at Peterhouse, Tom earned an MPhil in Real Estate Finance and was a member of the Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC). In 2022, he competed with Ollie in the Men's Boat Race against Oxford, whose boat featured Team GB teammates Angus Groom and Charles Elwes.
Ollie and Tom competed in Paris for Great Britain in the Men's Pair, winning a Silver medal!
Unsurprisingly, the Team GB Rowing Team included several Cambridge alumni.
Alongside the Men's Pair (both Peterhouse alumni), there were several other teams with Cambridge athletes. While most of these athletes had raced before, each with their own impressive records and wins, Freddie Davidson (Emmanuel 2017) competed in the Games for the first time, following numerous Championship wins.
In addition, Cambridge alumni competed in rowing for other countries. Alumni Olivia Coffey (Homerton 2017) and Dara Hossein Alizadeh (Hughes Hall 2017) returned for their second Games after excellent performances in 2021, and alumna Paige Badenhorst (Magdalene 2021) competed for the first time.
Here's who competed in Rowing for Team GB:
- Imogen Grant (Trinity College 2014)
— Gold Medal in the Women's Lightweight Double Sculls - Henry Fieldman (Homerton 2012)
— Bronze Medal as Cox, Women's 8 - Freddie Davidson (Emmanuel 2017)
— Bronze Medal, Men's 4
Plus, these Cambridge alumni rowers competed for other countries:
- Dara Hossein Alizadeh (Hughes Hall 2017)
— 4th place in Final E, Men’s Single Sculls: British Island territory of Bermuda - Olivia Coffey (Homerton 2017)
— 5th place in the Final, Women's 8: Team USA - Paige Badenhorst (Magdalene 2021)
— 2nd place in Final C, Women’s Single Scull: Team SA - Jan Helmich (Trinity Hall 2016)
— Bronze medal in the Paralympics, PR3 Mix2x: Team Germany
See the full breakdown of Rowing results on the CUBC website.
For more inspiring alumni stories, visit our dedicated alumni website!
Plus, don't miss 'Paris 1924: Sport, Art and the Body', the latest exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum.
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