UNSTOPPABLE SOUTH KOREA: ONE-WAY 1500M SPEED SKATING RACE
South Korean skaters lit up the Palavela arena as a single flag dominated the podium in both the men’s and women’s 1500m speed skating events. It was a great debut for young South Korean talent Kim Gilli at Torino 2025 FISU Games. The rising star took the lead on the third-to-last lap and never looked back. She crossed the finish line in 2:37.6, a few tenths of a second ahead of her compatriots: the gold medal was hers. Two solid races for Whi-min Seo as well, second, and Geon-hee Kim, bronze. “There’s no secret behind my balance on the ice, it’s just hard work,” said 22-year-old Whi-min Seo after the race. She revealed that she hadn’t expected to win, but her goals are ambitious: “I want to be an Olympic gold medallist,” she said confidently.
South Korea also dominated the men’s 1500m short track race. It was Kim Taesung, a 23-year-old student, who won the gold medal with a time of 2:27.775. He thus confirmed his title of World University Games Winter Champion, having won the previous edition in the United States in 2023. It was the eighth lap, in which Kim Taesung moved from sixth to second position, that marked the race. In fact, the 23-year-old student athlete was battling it out with national teammate Lee Donghyun for first place, which he eventually won. Kim Taesung said his biggest dream was to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. For Lee Donghyun, who won bronze at the 2023 World Championships, it was his first time at the World University Winter Games. The 20-year-old student finished second on the podium with a time of 2:27.948. The third step on the podium was taken by Bae Seochan. The student stayed in the top three throughout the race, unlike his national teammates, and won the bronze medal with a time of 2:28.087.
SKI ORIENTEERING ENDS WITH VICTORY FOR FINLAND
The Mixed Sprint Relay in ski orienteering provided a thrilling display of speed, navigation, and teamwork in Pragelato Plan. Finland emerged victorious in a tightly contested race, holding off Sweden and Switzerland to claim the gold medal.
The Finnish team of Amanda Yli-Futka and Niklas Ekström delivered a stellar performance to finish in 45:10, just 9 seconds ahead of Sweden. Starting the race conservatively, Finland quickly gained momentum with the second exchange, maintaining a place in the podium through the final exchange. Ekström’s navigation and speed in the closing leg secured the hard-fought win, showcasing the team’s ability to handle high-pressure situations. “Amanda and I have been on the national team together for three or four years, so achieving this win as a team is really special.”, commented Niklas Ekström.
The Swedish duo of Anna Aasa and Jonatan Stahl finished second in 45:19, narrowly missing out on gold. Sweden led early in the race, with Aasa setting the fastest time on the first leg. Despite a small slip in the middle legs that saw them drop to sixth position, Stahl’s final leg surge brought the team back to claim silver, demonstrating their resilience and determination.
The Swiss team of Delia Giezendanner and Corsin Elias Boos took bronze in 45:28, finishing just +18 seconds behind Finland. Switzerland started the race in sixth but steadily climbed the ranks, after the third leg, gaining momentum in the later legs. Boos’ consistent navigation and Giezendanner’s strong skiing allowed them to secure a podium finish. “This means so much to me. I had a really tough summer with an injury, so it’s amazing that my shape is good enough now to win two medals.”, declared Delia Giezendanner.
GOLD FOR FINLAND AND JAPAN IN CROSS-COUNTRY RELAYS
The cross-country relays in Pragelato Plan delivered high-stakes excitement as athletes competed in thrilling events that demanded teamwork, strategy, and endurance with Finland and Japan coming out as the winners after these two races.
The Finnish team secured a convincing victory in the women’s 4 x 7.5 km relay, crossing the finish line in 1:20:57.0, 31.2 seconds ahead of Japan. From Hanna Ray’s very first leg, Finland set a strong pace, with Elsa Torvinen and Iida Vuollet on position two and three, either leading or staying in close contention throughout the race. By the final two legs, Finland had established a clear lead, with anchor skier Anni Lindroos delivering a flawless finish to secure gold.
Japan with Chika Honda, Takane Tochitani, Karen Hatakeyama and Kaho Nakajima kept the competition close, showing impressive consistency to finish second in 1:21:28.2. Early in the race, Japan exchanged positions with Finland and France, with only +1.2 seconds separating the top three teams at the first exchange. Although Japan managed to briefly close the gap during Tochitani’s leg, they couldn’t match Finland’s pace in the final rounds. “My physical condition was excellent today, and my skis, thanks to the incredible work of our service team, were perfect. The conditions for a good race were definitely there. My coach advised me to lead as much as possible before handing over, and I gave it everything I had.”, said Takane Tochitani.
France with Felicie Chappaz, Manon Favre Bonvin, Julie Marciniak and France Pignot claimed bronze in 1:22:03.5, +1:06.5 behind the leaders. Pignot made the race extra exciting for her teammates, when she gave it her all on the final kilometers, passing the Swiss team who had only been 10 seconds ahead of them on the last intermediate time. In the end, her strong skiing on the final stretch let her finish a mesmerizing 37.8 seconds. “I can’t quite believe it! I was just behind the Swiss athlete, and she was so fast and full of energy – I honestly didn’t think I could catch her. But with the support of my friends, family, and the French team, I got this incredible boost of energy on the last uphill. I didn’t even look behind me.” admitted France Pignot after the race.
The men’s race was a showcase of intense competition, with Japan (Sho Kasahara, Ikuya Takizawa, Daito Yamazaki, Kanta Sakai) taking gold in 1:08:45.9 after a tightly contested battle. Switzerland, finishing just +20.9 seconds behind, put up a strong fight, with their skiers excelling in the second and third legs to keep the race within reach.
The early stages of the race were incredibly close, with Japan, Switzerland, and Finland trading leads. The top three teams were separated by less than a second during the first leg, setting the stage for an intense competition. The win of Japan’s team came down to their third skier Daito Yamazaki pulling ahead 40 seconds of the competition on his leg, giving their anchor skier Sakai an amazing lead to secure the victory.
Switzerland (Nolan Gertsch, Silvan Dürrer, Maxime Beguin, Jan Faessler) demonstrated excellent pacing and transitions, but small delays during exchanges allowed Japan to maintain their lead. Finland (Topias Kemppi, Markus Kasanen, Eelis Valikainen, Nico Bennert), finishing in 1:09:20.9 (+35.0 seconds), initially led during the early stages of the race. However, they couldn’t maintain their momentum in the final legs and ultimately settled for bronze. “I tried to catch up with Japan at the front, but the gap was just too big. We thought we had a realistic chance of medaling, but everything has to work out perfectly, and today it did.”, said Jan Faessler.
SNOWBOARD PGS: KAINZ AND ZAMFIROV CLAIM GOLD
The picturesque slopes of Melezet, played host to the highly anticipated Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom today. Both men and women competed in the qualification rounds, marking the beginning of an exciting day of snowboard racing.
The action kicked off at 9:30 am with 21 male and 13 female competitors lining up for the first qualification run. The challenging course, set against the backdrop of Bardonecchia rugged terrain, tested the skill and precision of each athlete as they aimed for a spot in the elimination rounds.Following, the event took an intense turn with the elimination format. In this stage, athletes raced in reverse order, with the slowest from the qualifications taking the start. This added an extra layer of pressure and strategy, as each competitor had to navigate the course with speed and accuracy, knowing that the next round could potentially end their hopes of a podium finish.The competition reached its climax in the afternoon when the top 16 men and women of each category advance to the final run. These elite athletes will battle for their chance to claim a spot on the podium, with the thrilling anticipation of gold, silver, and bronze up for grabs.
The Men’s gold medal was won by Tervel Zamfirov (BUL). He said, “I had a long road on preparing, I started in October, and I continued training and went to a few world cups. I had very good training in Moscow and then came here yesterday.”
The women’s gold medallist, Carmen Kainz (AUT) spoke about her last run in the final and what was going on in her head. She said, “I increased my confidence competing here. It wasn’t working perfectly during the last few weeks of training. Now with this I can continue better. Melezet was a hard slope, it was bumpy, and after the qualification, I thought to myself, how can I do it, but I gave it my best and it worked perfectly.” Then she added “What I love about The World University Games is that not everything is about the competition, and everyone is so happy just to take part.”
A SWISS ONE-TWO AT CAMPO SMITH
It was an eventful morning at Campo Smith, where the Women’s Slalom competition saw an impressive display of skill and determination from 85 athletes at the start. The competition began after a one-hour delay, allowing the organizers to optimize the slope conditions for the day.
The day belonged to the Swiss team, as they dominated the podium. The gold medal was claimed by Sue Piller, who celebrated her third medal of the Games, showcasing her remarkable consistency and skill. Her teammate Amelie Klopfenstein secured the silver medal, adding to Switzerland’s triumph. Klopfenstein shared her experience: “I needed to take it easy, not overthink, and just focus on skiing.”
Local hero Margherita Cecere delighted the home crowd by earning the bronze medal, bringing a touch of hometown pride to the event. “I’m really satisfied with my performance here. I now have two medals, bronze in Giant Slalom and Slalom. I just had so much fun out there and stayed relaxed, which really helped me achieve these results. I think that’s such an important part of competing.”, declared the Italian after her race.
The Slalom competition once again demonstrated why it is one of the most technically demanding and exhilarating events in alpine skiing, requiring precision, agility, and mental focus.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ICE HOCKEY
Canada and Slovakia will play the men’s ice hockey final on the penultimate day of competitions, 22 January, starting at 8pm at the Pala Tazzoli.
While Slovakia beat Ukraine 3-1 (1-0, 1-0, 1-1), Canada upset the USA 10-2 (1-1, 5-1, 4-0), and probably more convincingly than expected. Remarkably, the Canadians scored through ten different players.
Ukraine and the USA will meet at 4pm in the bronze medal match. While the final is sold out, tickets are still available for the afternoon match.
