VU students & alumni shine bright in Birmingham

Victoria University students and alumni performed exceptionally well at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Read about our students and former students, and their successes!

Students

Our current students demonstrated their skills, in top form for the Games.

Judo

These fantastic individual achievements were also part of Team Judo Australia’s historic effort in bringing home 10 medals, the most of any Australian Judo team at a Commonwealth Games. Aoife and Liam have a quick break before the #TeamJudoAus Seniors head back to Europe for a training camp in preparation for the World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 6 – 13 October 2022.

Aoife Coughlan (Bachelor of Exercise Science - Clinical Practice)

Aoife claimed gold in the women’s Judo - 70kg division. A Tokyo 2020 Olympian, VU sport awardee (Full Blue) and former Emerging Elite Sport Scholarship recipient, Aoife is a 2022 Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Education Scholarship recipient. Aoife is one of three siblings, all elite Judokas, studying at VU.

Liam Park (Bachelor of Business) 

Liam capped off Judo Australia’s Commonwealth Games campaign by winning the men’s +100kg bronze medal. Liam a VU sport awardee (Full Blue) was an Australian Uniroos representative at the 2019 World University Games.

Athletics

Jack Hale (Bachelor of Exercise Science) 

Jack lived up to his moniker of the “Hale Storm” as he turned the bend in an impressive showing in the 3rd leg of the men’s 4x100m relay, before a mishap dashed the team’s chances of a finals birth. Our thoughts are with Jack and the team and we are proud of all you have achieved.

Alumni

Our former students continued to shine in world-class performances.

Basketball

Lauren Scherf (Bachelor of Sport Science, Physical Education, Secondary) 2019

Lauren was part of the fantastic comeback by the Australian women’s 3x3 basketball team defeating New Zealand to secure the bronze medal. A VU sport awardee (Full Blue) and former Elite High Performance Sport Scholarship recipient, Lauren was part of the 2019 Australian Uniroos World University Games women’s basketball gold medal team and named VU’s Female Athlete of the Year that same year.

Athletics

Liam Adams (Bachelor of Exercise Science and Human Movement) 2016

Liam ran a fantastic marathon finishing only 7 seconds off a medal crossing the line in 4th place with a season best of 2:13:23. Just two weeks after his impressive Commonwealth Games marathon Liam went on to win Sydney City2Surf for the 3rd time. One of VU’s most celebrated student-athletes in cross country, track and marathon, Liam remains an engaged alumnus with his valuable contribution on the University’s Sport Awards Committee.

Badminton

Gronya Somerville (Bachelor of Exercise Science (Clinical Practice) 2021

Gronya and her doubles partner Hsuan-Yu Wendy Chen wrapped up the Australian Badminton Falcons 2022 Commonwealth Games campaign putting in an a great performance progressing to the bronze medal game, where the duo were defeated by India. The bronze playoff for women’s doubles is familiar territory for Gronya who was in the same position four years ago at the 2018 Commonwealth Games narrowly missing out on bronze. Gronya, a Tokyo 2020 Olympian, former VU awardee (Full Blue and Athlete of the Year) and Elite High Performance Scholarship recipient, this was Gronya’s third Commonwealth Games appearance for Australia.

Table tennis

Daniela Di Toro (Bachelor of Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture and Herbs) 2009

Daniela is having an incredible sports career as a seven-time Paralympian. She switched to table tennis from wheelchair tennis for the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and it’s hard to believe this was Danni’s Commonwealth Games debut. Danni competed in the table tennis para-sport singles competition and was part of the largest Australian table tennis team in Commonwealth Games history.

VU is very proud of all our students and alumni representing Australia at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Birmingham.