Six University of Nottingham graduates have bagged Olympic medals for Team GB over the past 20 years, making it the UK’s 7th most successful university.

To put this in context, 80 countries have never won an Olympic medal, while another 41 (including former nations) have won fewer than four, according to Wikipedia.

Our recent success has come on the water. Flat water canoeist Tim Brabants picked up a gold and a bronze in Beijing, adding to the bronze he’d won at Sydney in 2000, during a break from his degree in Medicine.

In 2009, Tim received an honorary degree from the University and an MBE. He’s looking to defend his Olympic title after securing his place for Team GB in the K1 1,000m event.

The University’s reputation on the water is secured by three more Olympic medalists. Gareth Marriott won Britain’s first Olympic canoeing medal with a silver in the Canadian Singles Class at Barcelona in 1992, and Campbell Walsh secured silver in the K1 event at Athens 2004. And London 2012 gives David Florence the chance to go one better than the silver he bagged in the C1 category in Beijing four years ago.

The University’s success goes back further than the last two decades, and includes more than just water-based sports and GB athletes.

Deng Ya Ping, who qualified with a Masters degree in Contemporary Chinese Studies in 2002, is the University’s most successful Olympian.

Table tennis champion Deng has four Olympic gold medals, six world championships and was named China’s female athlete of the 20th century. Since retiring from the sport she has worked for the International Olympic Committee and been part of the team that secured and organised the Beijing Games in 2008.

She said: “The Olympic Games not only helped the Chinese people to know better about the world, but also provided an opportunity for China to present its traditional culture as well as latest progress to the world. I am sure London and the UK will also receive a great legacy from this year’s event.

“Taking part in an Olympic event is a unique experience and I really enjoyed it. The most important gift I got from the event is the Olympic spirit of trying to exceed myself against all obstacles. This spirit is still helping my current career. I am sure it will light my way up forever.”

Robert Clift, is another gold-winning graduate; he was part of the GB Men’s hockey squad in Seoul 1988. Banker Robert also won silver medals with the England team at the 1986 World Cup and 1987 European Cup.

In the Paralympics, Dr Abu Yilla (Economics 1978) won a medal in wheelchair rugby. He’s also won 16 national championships as a player, coach and administrator in the sport and now works at the University of Texas, where his research focuses on elite disability sport.

Finally, two of Britain’s most successful Olympians Rebecca Adlington and five-time Olympic gold medalist Sir Steve Redgrave are among our Honorary Graduates. Double-gold medalist Rebecca will be competing in London 2012.