Five QUT students are representing Australia at the 2025 FISU Summer World University Games, which are now underway in Germany.
Australia’s national team, dubbed the UniRoos, are among 10,000 student-athletes and officials from 150 countries taking part in the multi-city event over 12 days (July 16-27).
This year’s World Uni Games are hosted by the Rhine-Ruhr region and are spread across six German cities – Berlin, Bochum, Duisburg, Essen, Mülheim and Hagen.
FISU (Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire) holds its Summer Games every two years, and also stages a biennial Winter Games.
The five students representing Australia and QUT in Germany this month (pictured above, left to right) are:
- James Hardy, Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical and Aerospace) – artistic gymnastics
- Hannah Allen, Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Laws (Honours) – swimming
- Terrell Thorne, Bachelor of Business – athletics (400m)
- Josephine Crimmins, Bachelor of Property Economics – swimming
- Tahlya Smith, Bachelor of Architectural Design – rhythmic gymnastics
The students will get to experience different cities while in Germany.
Essen is hosting the rhythmic gymnastics (July 17-19) and artistic gymnastics (July 22-26), the swimming events are in Berlin (July 17-23), and Bochum will host the athletics (July 21-27).
The full competition schedule can be found here.
James Hardy will compete in artistic gymnastics from July 22, which tests athletes’ strength, agility and acrobatic abilities across the parallel bars, pommel horse, rings, vault, horizontal bar and floor exercise.
He’s used to flying through the air for his sport – and he’s also an aspiring astronaut who studies mechanical and aerospace engineering at QUT and this year completed an internship with Gilmour Space Technologies.
“Balancing uni and training can be quite challenging at times, especially with international events and travel,” James said.
“I’m very grateful for the support of the QUT Elite Sport Program – it’s been a large part of helping me manage my commitments.
“The lead-up to the World Uni Games for me has been going well. Last week we competed on the Gold Coast for our National Championships, where I was able to finish with a silver medal in the All-Around. It’s given me a lot of confidence, and I'm looking forward to a strong competition representing Australia.”
Tahlya Smith is representing Australia in Germany in the separate discipline of rhythmic gymnastics, which has five apparatus – rope, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon.
“What I am most looking forward to about this competition is definitely the experience as an individual athlete on the world stage,” she said.
“I have only ever competed in the team division in my sport, so my goal for the competition is to live through the experience day by day and manage the highs and lows of the competition, while having plenty of fun.
“With a very hands-on degree like architecture, managing my heavy training load with uni can be challenging from time to time. I make sure I am very organised and when I have spare time I try my best to use it for my uni work.”
QUT Director of Sport Emily Rosemond said selection for the World University Games was an outstanding achievement, particularly given the limited opportunities in Australia for student-athletes to compete on the world stage.
“Competing at the World Uni Games not only reflects their sporting ability and capacity to balance study, training and competition, but also provides an invaluable opportunity to engage with university athletes from across the globe,” she said.
“This environment allows for international friendships and connections to be formed – and who knows, one day they may find themselves lining up together at a World Cup, World Championships or Olympic Games, having first met through UniGames.”
The students competing in Germany are all members of the QUT Elite Sport Program.
Another six QUT students are also competing at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore this month.
QUT has a proud history of supporting student-athletes and earlier this year became the first Australian university to be named a gold tier member of the Australian Institute of Sport’s new Elite Sport Education Network (ESEN).
People can find out more about sport at QUT – including social and representative sport, the Elite Athlete Entry Scheme and sport scholarships – at the QUT Open Day on July 27. Head to the QUT Sport information tent on the Kidney Lawn at Gardens Point campus.
Open Day visitors can also tour the QUT Esports Arena and find out more about Australia’s first university esport program, experience virtual cycling and motorsport at the Virtual Sport Studio, try the Trackman golf simulator and explore the Olympic-size swimming pool and gym at the QUT Fitness and Aquatic Centre.
Main image at top of page: QUT student athletes (left to right) James Hardy, Hannah Allen, Terrell Thorne, Josephine Crimmins and Tahlya Smith.
QUT Media contacts:
- Mechelle McMahon, media@qut.edu.au
- After hours, 0407 585 901 or media@qut.edu.au
