Ad Astra track-and-field star Nicola Tuthill takes silver in the hammer at World University Games
28 July 2025
Representing UCD, Nicola Tuthill in the women's hammer throw final at the FISU World University Games in Bochum, Germany Credit: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
UCD’s Nicola Tuthill has claimed her first medal on the world stage with a silver in the hammer at the 32nd (opens in a new window)World University Games.
Saving her best throws for the last three rounds, the Cork native and Ad Astra Elite Sport Scholar delivered an outstanding final throw of 69.98m to confirm her second place finish behind gold medallist Zhao Jie, who threw 72.80m.
The 21-year-old is the first Irish field eventer to win a medal at the World University Games since Eileen O’Keefe in 2007, who also won silver in the hammer.
“I’m delighted - it’s my first medal on the world stage,” said Tuthill. “And to come off winning silver at the U23 European Championships last week, it’s very special.
“It was somewhat of a stressful competition because some of my first throws were some of the worst I’ve had all season, and my last five competitions have all been over 70 meters, so I was glad to see it slowly improve in the final - and thank God it did.”
Smiles all round from Nicola Tuthill (opens in a new window)@ucddublin Silver medalist in the 2025 World University Games Hammer Throw Final. (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/AC4DXIuO6h
— Student Sport Ireland (@StudentSportIrl) (opens in a new window)July 27, 2025
Representing University College Dublin at the competition, where she’s studies Science, the rising star in Irish field events joins a short list of Irish athletics greats like (opens in a new window)Sonia O’Sullivan, Ronnie Delany, and Thomas Barr that have won medals at the games.
Her latest podium finish comes less than two weeks since she took another silver in the hammer at the European U23 Athletics Championships, winning Ireland’s first ever medal in a field event at this grade.
Earlier in the season Tuthill also claimed another Irish title first, winning the under-23 hammer gold at the European Throwing cup.
Making her Olympic debut in the hammer at the 2024 Paris Games, in June she broke her own Irish U-23 record with a 71.71m throw in Finland, becoming just the second Irish woman to ever throw beyond 70 metres in the Hammer Throw.
She will next be in competition in September at the World Championships in Tokyo.
The Ad Astra Elite Sports Scholarship programme at University College Dublin supports students who are competing and succeeding at the highest sporting levels. It is the University’s flagship scholarship programme.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
