Road to Glasgow: Adele Nicoll’s Story Still Refuses to Stand Still

Adele Nicoll has never been an athlete fulfilled with taking the obvious route.

The former Cardiff Met student first established a reputation in athletics, developing as a shot putter while studying at the university and building the power, technique and competitive edge that would later help her become a multiple-time British champion.

Before then, her sporting career took an unexpected turn when videos of her impressive training regime caught the attention of the British Bobsleigh team. That opportunity would eventually carry her from the throwing circle to the ice and onto the Winter Olympic stage with Team GB.

Becoming the first British woman selected to compete in Olympic monobob, Nicoll’s rise in bobsleigh has been one of the most distinctive British sporting stories of recent years. She went on to compete in both the monobob and two-woman events at the 2026 Winter Olympics, further cementing her place within the history of British bobsleigh.

Before that, she had already helped secure Great Britain’s first women’s World Cup bobsleigh medal in 13 years when she won silver alongside Mica McNeill in 2022. Nicoll later added a second World Cup silver medal in 2024 as a pilot alongside Kya Placide, meaning the British women’s programme has achieved only two World Cup medals in the last 15 years, both involving Nicoll.

Despite her path being far from linear, Nicoll continued to keep athletics firmly in the picture. She represented Wales at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and, despite her success in winter sport, has continued competing in shot put while balancing the demands of two elite sporting environments.

Alongside her achievements on the international stage, Nicoll also enjoyed significant success during her time in university sport, winning multiple BUCS gold medals across indoor and outdoor competition while representing Cardiff Met.

Her powerhouse engine, built on ambition, adaptability and resilience, is not one that appears likely to slow down.

Cardiff Met has built its reputation on helping talented athletes thrive in demanding environments, and Nicoll’s career captures that perfectly. She is not simply an alumna with an impressive CV, she is a reminder that the right university environment can support athletes whose ambitions refuse to fit neatly into one lane.

With Glasgow 2026 on the horizon, Nicoll remains one of the most compelling names connected to Cardiff Met, not only because of what she has already achieved, but because of the pathways she is still continuing to explore.