A University of Hull graduate has his sights set on the Olympic Games this summer as he aims to be in the 200m starting blocks in Tokyo.
Andy Morgan-Harrison, who graduated from Hull last year with a First-Class degree in Sports Rehabilitation, won gold at both the 2020 British Indoor Championships and Outdoor Championships, and last month represented Team GB at the European Athletics Team Championships in Poland.
The East Yorkshire sprinter is a Talented Athlete Programme recipient at the university and is now in the final stages of training for the Team GB selection event for the 2020 Olympic Games.
Andy said: “I started running when I was around 11. I used to always win sports day events at primary school and one of my teachers said I should get myself in with a club.
“I was coached at Costello Stadium in Hull and ran throughout secondary school and college. I’d already applied to study at Hull when one of my friends told me about the Talented Athlete Programme, so I applied for that and was lucky enough to be accepted.
University of Hull graduate Andy Morgan-Harrison has his sights set on the Olympic Games this summer as he aims to be in the 200m starting blocks in Tokyo.
“During my first year at Hull, my running performance had a massive jump up and I won my first British medal in the 200m event.”
Andy was also last year ranked as the fastest 200m student in Europe, after winning gold at the BUCS Indoor Championships.
His time – a remarkable 20.66 seconds – meant he was top of the European standings and the third-fastest student in the world.
The Talented Athlete Programme offers a range of benefits and support packages for recipients, which includes a tailored financial offer to study at Hull, all-inclusive fitness centre membership, bespoke training, nutrition and hydration support, rehabilitation support and complementary sportswear.
Our graduate, Andy Morgan-Harrison, has set his sights on the Olympic Games in Tokyo! 🏃♂️💨
We recently caught up with 200m sprinter Andy, who is in his final weeks of training ahead of the @TeamGB selection event later this month. 🇬🇧
Read more here 👇https://t.co/GZ4eG2mrex
— University of Hull (@UniOfHull) June 12, 2021
Andy managed to balance his university studies with training and competing at elite-level sporting events.
“The university was great with me the whole time I was there,” he said.
“I had to have one of my exams moved to a different date, because it clashed with when I was out at a warm weather training camp with my coach. The university was brilliant about it all.
“The Talented Athlete Programme has helped me a lot in recent years. Having free access to the gym was one of the biggest benefits. The university also supported me with training and diet plans.
“It is definitely something which needs to be shouted about more. I would recommend it to anyone.”
Read the full story here.
