LAST BIATHLON TRIUMPH: UKRAINE AND POLAND SHINE AT TORINO 2025 FISU GAMES IN PRAGELATO
After five days of competitions, the biathlon circuit in Pragelato Ruà is coloured blue and yellow: like the colours of the flag of Ukraine, absolutely triumphant in the discipline at Torino 2025 FISU Games, with nine medals won by its athletes in the various competitions held (four gold, two silver, and three bronze). Better than Ukraine in the biathlon only Poland, which brought home six medals.
Yesterday the last challenge of the sport at the Universiade took place, with the women’s 12.5 km mass start and the men 15 km mass start. In the women’s competition the gold went to Daryna Chalyk, who finished with a time of 41:46.6 and three penalties, while the silver was won by her compatriot Oleksandra Merkushyna. Just behind was Germany’s Luise Müller. “This victory will stay with me forever, especially because I got to carry the Ukrainian flag as I crossed the finish line for the first time. Driving with the flag was such a precious and unforgettable experience.”, said Chalyk sharing her experience.
In the men’s race victory went to the Frenchman Nathanael Peaquin, who finished in 42:53.1 with three penalties. “This edition of FISU Games was amazing, one of the best experiences in my life, with a lot of good people, lot of smiles and a lot of good races”, said Peaquin. Silver for Sweden’s Karl Groenland and bronze for Kazakhstan’s Kirill Bauer.
COMPETITION REVIEW ALPINE SKI: Men’s Slalom
The final day of the Alpine Skiing competition in the mountains of Bardonecchia unfolded in an exciting display of talent and determination.
Before the second run, the slope was meticulously prepared to ensure optimal conditions. Out of the initial field, 59 athletes advanced to the second run, battling it out for the podium. Japan’s Takayuki Koyama emerged victorious, claiming the gold medal. “I was first in both runs because I gave it my all. This is not just an ordinary race; it’s a universal event, and I’m so grateful to be here and to have had the opportunity to showcase my skills.”, declared the Japanese athlete. Italy wins the silver medal, thanks to the incredible talent of Stefano Pizzato, who said: “I came to Bardonecchia knowing that if I skied well, I could achieve a great result, so I was determined to give it my all”. France’s Paul Silvestre rounded out the podium with the bronze. He was happy to say that: “The organization here is outstanding, the venue, accommodation, and overall environment are excellent. It’s also been an incredible opportunity for me to meet people and improve my English”
The Slalom competition at FISU Games has a rich tradition of showcasing emerging talent, offering student-athletes a prestigious platform to compete at an international level and embodying the spirit of technical precision and athletic excellence.
FREESTYLE SKIING SKI CROSS FINALS (M/W)
Yesterday’s blue skies gave way to clouds and the fog had free rein today, particularly during the Ski Cross events. Surprisingly, though, the racers were happy with the race conditions, as yesterday’s numerous heats meant that the snow piled up on the bends and made skiing really tricky in places. So despite the very variable visibility at times, the riders had a lot of fun hurtling down the 700 m track.
Italy’s Nathalie Bernard won the gold medal ahead of Austria’s Isabel Hofherr and Canada’s Sage Stefani. “It was crazy at first time I was I wasn’t expecting to have a gold medal but after the round robin yesterday I was really in confidence. The weather conditions didn’t bother me. The worst part was when the men were going down. For the girls, the weather wasn’t that bad. My next goal is Europa Cup! Yes and then we will see.”, declares the Italian gold medallist with a big smile. Stefani shared her thoughts on FISU World University Games: “I really try and just focus on the event itself rather than the results, kind of taking the whole event as an experience and kind of just try to have fun as much as I can. I’ve had a lot of fun meeting all the athletes from different countries. It’s cool to see all these university level athletes competing who are able to do school as well as athletics. So meeting everybody, trading jackets, trading pins, it’s a really cool experience.”
The men’s competition was dominated by the robust Swedish Erik Wahlberg. The two Japanese, Sora Sasaoka and Yamato Asakawa took second and third place respectively. “I’m not really annoyed by this bad visibility, but it would have been nice with sun, because then I would have been able to see Bardonecchia! It’s a beautiful place! Yesterday under the sun, it was amazing.”, said Wahlberg about the venue.
FINALS CURLING MEN/WOMEN BRONZE MEDAL MATCHES
The Pala Tazzoli rink hosted the third-place playoff in the Curling competition at the 32nd FISU World University Games today. Canada won 7-4 against Norway in the women’s competition. Switzerland won the bronze medal in the men’s competition. Canada came 4th (CAN – SUI 1:6) Tomorrow, Thursday, the Republic of Korea and Japan will compete for the gold and silver medals in the women’s competition, while Norway and United States will face each other in the men’s competition.
Bronze-Medal Women
What was the biggest challenge during preparation for the FISU Games?
A: One of our teammates was living in another province of Canada. So, we are just coming together and working through our process and making sure were are matching very well together was a super part of our victory here.
Bronze-Medal Men (Jan Iseli, Skip)
How does it feel to win the bronze medal?
A: We lost this medal two year ago in Lake Placid against Canada. It feels amazing we have that medal now.
What is your favorite memory of Torino outside the FISU Games?
A: To meet new people and meet & greet friends and family. We also visited the city. Torino is an amazing place.
SNOWBOARD PARALLEL SLALOM
Snowboard parallel slalom draws to a close in Bardonecchia. The women’s qualification runs began at 10:00 AM, with 21 athletes from around the world vying for a spot in the finals. The standout performance of the round came from Japan’s Kanazawa, who recorded the fastest time of 38.30 seconds, demonstrating precision and agility despite the tricky weather conditions.
In the men’s qualification, Austrian snowboarder Matthäus Pink dominated with an impressive time of 34.89 seconds, securing the top spot. His performance was particularly notable, as the fog and snow made visibility difficult and the course more unpredictable.
In the women’s final Italy won the gold, thanks to the astonishing performance of Elisa Fava, who finished in 39.67. Silver medal Carmen Kainz (AUT) finished +2.9 behind Fava. Finally, the bronze medal was awarded to Martina Ankele (AUT).
In the men’s final the gold medal went to Matthäus Pink (AUT). Another medal in snowboard for Italy went Simon Dorfmann, who secured the second place. Finally, the bronze medal went to Alexander Krashniak (BUL). “I would like to dedicate this medal to my parents because they really support me they really try and brighten my life when I’m feeling down so they deserve it.”, concluded Pink.
CANADA WINNER OF MEN’S ICE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
The Men’s Ice Hockey Gold medal of the 32nd FISU World University Games Winter who took place at Pala Tazzoli in Torino goes to Canada who beat Slovakia 3-1.
The teams faced off with a smooth start to the competition. The first period was marked by tactical play, not lacking in spectacular moments, with several shots on goal directed at the Slovak net by the Canadian athletes (20 shots compared to 4), until the first goal, at the end of the period, scored by Canadian Conor Tadd Frenette at 19:59.
Second period was marked in the seventh minute by the second goal of the game, completed by Colson Gengenbach. The game then gradually became more tense, marked, with five minutes left in the period, by the puck on net by Slovakia’s team captain Jakub Uran.
In the third period a total of 42 shots toward the goal were made by Canada, 25 by Slovakia. With one minute to go Canada’s Sassari Mutala, scores the goal that brings the final score to 3-1.
The captain of Canada, Jack Duff, said: “I’m extremely proud for the victory. The run-up to the final competition was challenging, with encounters that were not a foregone conclusion, but our determination rewarded us. We dedicate the victory to our families. With a commitment to balance study and sports preparation.”
The Men’s Ice Hockey Bronze medal of the 32nd FISU World University Games Winter goes to Ukraine who beat Usa 5-3.
If the first period was dominated by the Ukrainian team’s doubling of goals, with the first nearly simultaneous goal by the U.S., the second period saw the US athletes chase down Ukraine with a remarkable effort even though the result settled at 4 to 2 in favor of the European team. Roughly equal were the shots on goal, 11 against 10.
Moments after the resumption disc sent into the net by Ukraine’s number 24. U.S. response shortly after, bringing the game to 5-3, not enough to avoid defeat. Very fast-paced game on the ice of the Turin arena. Fought ending that, however, does not change the result. 5 to 3 for the Ukrainians for a well-deserved bronze MEDAL.
The captain of Ukraine, Hlib Krivoshapkin, said: “I am very proud of this win for my country and proud of my teammates. We had many expectations for this tournament, especially for playoff. We really wanted to make it to the finals but we didn’t. Last night we had some rest, we had a light chat and we said to go on the ice calmly and not to be emotional. It worked and we beat USA. We are very happy!”
