Simon (HUN) and Parisi (ITA) awarded World Academy of Sport scholarships

Two elite athletes aspiring to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have an early cause for celebration after winning scholarships to study at the World Academy of Sport (WAoS).

Sarolta Simon of Hungary and Mattia Parisi of Italy have been granted full scholarships to undertake the Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) in International Sports Management, meaning they can study towards a qualification while training and competing in the Paris 2024 cycle.

The course is run online by WAoS in conjunction with the University of London, and the full coverage of fees for the two awarded athletes consists of contributions from WAoS and UIPM, following a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2020.

Simon (HUN), 25, was a bronze medallist at the 2021 European Championships and has become a regular finalist at the highest level after a strong junior career.

She said: “I saw the invitation on the UIPM website and because last June I finished my third diploma, I felt I could manage to study more. At universities in Hungary, I studied Sports Management and Sports Economics, which is the reason I thought this scholarship could help me to broaden my horizons and learn to look at things from new viewpoints.

“I was very happy when I noticed my application was successful. This means a lot to me because I always wanted to study at a foreign university, but due to my sports preparation which is taking place in Hungary, a university abroad was not a real option for me.

“Now this scholarship is a fantastic possibility for me to make my dreams come true and study at the University of London besides my preparation for the Olympics. I believe these studies let me know more about my favourite theme, Sport Management. In my opinion, it can help me to find a job internationally after my sports career.”

Parisi (ITA), 28, won a breakthrough silver medal at UIPM 2022 Pentathlon World Cup Budapest on the back of excellent results such as 7th in the UIPM 2018 Pentathlon World Cup Final in Astana (KAZ).

He said: “I heard about the WAoS through UIPM’s publications on the website and social media. I have decided to apply because I believe it is an incredible opportunity to study what I like and be a student at such a prestigious university.

“When I saw the acceptance letter I felt so excited and I honestly couldn't believe I received the full scholarship. I trust these studies will greatly improve my knowledge about sports business and my management abilities and will hopefully help advance my career.”

The Athletes’ Opportunities section of UIPM’s new Athletes Centred Programme (ACP) provides registered athletes with a list of opportunities from UIPM and partners including international Olympic and sports organisations. This list is updated weekly and pentathletes can click here to register for the ACP.