By Natalie Laurence

Sports journalism students have been given a running start in the industry.

University of Brighton students who graduated this year earned praise from editors after working and covering the Olympics and Paralympics.

Tim Barnett, editor-in-chief at the Olympic and Paralympic News Service, speaking of Tommy Curran, Chad Nugent, Sunni Upal and Jon Vale, said: “I am sure that all four of these young men have the talent and personality to make a successful career in journalism.”

Neil Robinson, head of sport at The Independent, The Independent on Sunday and the London Evening Standard, also praised Giuseppe Muro, who was then offered a job as a sportswriter at The Standard.

Senior lecturer at Brighton University, Rob Steen, said: “They were all tremendous students, determined to learn and on defying all the odds that face any would-be journalist in these difficult times.

“Recent graduates are now working at national and regional newspapers, at Sky Sports and the BBC.

“Speaking on behalf of my fellow lecturers, Jed Novick, Simon McEnnis, Jackie Errigo and Di Reeves, we couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Tommy Curran, who now works freelancing as a sports reporter, covering football matches and press conferences in the south east, said: “It was important that I had strong shorthand skills and the ability to write clean and concise copy to short deadlines; attributes I had consistently developed during my three years as a student.”

Recent graduate Jon Vale said: “The Olympics was nothing short of amazing. It was hard work and long hours and I even spent a night sleeping in St Pancras station as I missed my train home but it was completely worth it.”

The graduates were part of a larger team of 600 Olympic and Paralympic News Service reporters, who collectively filed more than 14,200 stories over 30 days during the Games.