Team GB Olympic medallists are nearly twice as likely to have gone to university as the UK population as a whole, according to a recent study which seeks to showcase the contribution of higher education to sports. Hotcourses Abroad reports.

‘Health body, healthy mind,’ or so the saying goes. However, Olympic medallists have proven that they can keep their passion for their chosen sport discipline and undertake university education successfully, both complementing each other.

The report, Olympic and Paralympic Games: The impact of universities, highlights that 61 per cent of UK medallists have been university-educated, compared to 31 per cent of the population as a whole.

By mid-April 2012, 59 members of Team GB for London 2012 had been selected, 59 per cent of which have been to university or are currently in higher education. This includes three athletes, 24 of 38 swimmers and eight of 11 sailors currently selected.

Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said: “It is inspiring to see that university athletes lead the way for Team GB medallists. This demonstrates the strong links between university and sports.”

She also argues that behind the athletes of every Olympic team around the world there is an array of team members from coaches to sports psychologists, nutritionists, product researchers and many more, all anchored within universities and university research. This demonstrates how diverse universities’ contribution to sports has been.

The report was launched as part of Universities Week 2012,  a partnership by Universities UK and the British Universities & Colleges Sport, the national governing body for higher education sport in the UK. The event this year seeks to celebrate the great contributions of universities to the world of sports in the UK.

Many universities around the world recognise the importance of sporting disciplines and have equipped their campuses with top-notch facilities for sport training and leisure. If you are passionate about sports and want to improve your education prospects by undertaking a sport-related degree abroad, you can not only enjoy these facilities but also take advantage of state-of-the-art research development on the topic.

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• Interested in a sports science undergraduate degree? Click here to find our list of universities in top study destinations that offer the course.
• If you have made your start in the world of sports, you might consider expanding your career opportunities with a postgraduate degree in sport-related areas. Follow the link to find out more.

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