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Scholars impress on Rio stage
- Updated: August 25, 2016
Four Sky Academy Scholars can hold their heads up high after producing the goods at the Rio Olympics.
After being supported by the Sky Scholarship scheme since the London Games, Savannah Marshall, Holly Bradshaw, Mark English and Siobhan-Marie O’Connor did brilliantly just to be in Brazil, at Rio, but they let nobody down.
So how did they get on?
SAVANNAH MARSHALL (Boxing, middleweight – DOB 19/05/1991)
Marshall’s Olympic dream was shattered by the No 2 seed Nouchka Fontijn in a very lively and close-fought quarter-final.
The 25-year-old from Hartlepool was desperate to put on a good show after an unhappy experience at London 2012 and there was no shame in losing out to a split decision to her Dutch nemesis in the last-eight.
Marshall, who had lost her four previous fights to Fontijn, started in brutal fashion and continued aggressively in the second round, but her rival grew in confidence and it proved enough as the judges narrowly went for the Dutch fighter.
“I thought I’d won the second round and the last round but when I looked at the scores it wasn’t even close,” said Marshall.
“I didn’t win a round. I didn’t even get a vote in the third. But she’s a brilliant fighter so she deserves the medal. What can I say, I haven’t got one; I’ll probably carry on after this though.”
Tony Lester, head of Sky Scholarships, said: “Savannah had a rollercoaster of ups and downs of injuries, operations, wins and losses on her path to Rio.
“She’s come out and delivered excellence and with the help of our mentoring, hers with Adam Smith and Jonny Nelson, who will have given her and all of our Scholars the mental support they’ve needed when they’re a bit shaky, to remind them just how good they really are – from people who’ve been there.”
HOLLY BRADSHAW (Athletics, pole vault – DOB 02/11/1991)
It was an emotional return to the Olympics for GB’s top polevaulter who, as Holly Bleasdale, finished sixth in the London 2012 final and was proposed to by boyfriend Paul later on the same day.
The reignited 24-year-old from Preston returned for her second Games after overcoming a back injury that kept her out for 18 months and looked set for a medal in the final …
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