Congratulations go out to University of Glasgow student Rebecca Cooke who successfully qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games to be held in Athens later this year. Rebecca qualified for the 800m freestyle at the Olympic trials in Sheffield, her time was 8:33.02 five seconds outside her best and 3.64 seconds inside the qualifying standard. Rebecca also claimed Sharon Davies 24 year old British record in the 400m I.M. at the trials.

This is latest achievement in a long line of success for Rebecca who won 3 gold medals, representing Glasgow in the World Student Games and a Bronze medal in the Swimming World Championships. Despite her heavy training schedule of around 26 hours or 95,000m swimming per week, university sports scholar Cooke still finds time to be a part of the university swimming club winning gold at last year's BUSA championships. Rebecca also won Glasgow University's Bob Wilson memorial award for outstanding sporting achievement earlier this year.

Rebecca is 'relieved' to have made the team and suggests that the trials are more nerve racking than the Olympic Games themselves. Rebecca's coach Stephen Hill praised her as an outstanding talent and has tipped the world No. 3 as a medal contender in Athens. Rebecca has taken a year out from full time study to prepare fully for the Olympics and is thankful that the University have afforded her such leeway. She cites the reduced pressure of not having to balance full time study with such high training volumes as a key contributory factor in her success to date.

Everyone at the University Sport and Recreation Service and Glasgow University Sports Association wish Rebecca every success in Athens and will be sure to be watching as she attempts to win Olympic Gold.

Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

First published: 15 April 2004