Exeter alumnus wins bronze at World Racketlon Championships

Exeter College alumnus Russ Blenkinsop (1976, Mathematics) has won a bronze medal representing Great Britain at the 2026 World Racketlon Championships in Rotterdam. 

Russ competed for the GB over-65 team alongside Steve Hall, a former Welsh international table tennis player, with the pair securing bronze at the Championships. 

Racketlon combines four racket sports – table tennis, badminton, squash and tennis – with competitors facing each other in all four disciplines. Players therefore need to be accomplished across sports requiring very different techniques, tactics and styles of play. 

The 2026 World Racketlon Championships took place in Rotterdam from 5–9 August, bringing together players from around the world for five days of singles and team competition. The event is organised under the Federation of International Racketlon (FIR), the international governing body for the sport, and forms the centrepiece of its annual World Tour. 

Russ also represented Great Britain in the individual World Championship singles, where he competed against an international field including players from India and across Europe. He finished an impressive fourth, narrowly missing out on a second medal. 

His bronze medal and fourth-place singles finish marked an excellent World Championships for Russ and a notable international sporting achievement for an Exeter alumnus.

Exeter College alumnus Russ Blenkinsop (1976, Mathematics) and Steve Hall