THRILLING TRIUMPH FOR CZECH REPUBLIC IN WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY AGAINST CANADA
It took extra time, after a hard-fought and exciting game, but after four periods of play, the verdict is only one: the Czech Republic women’s ice hockey team is the gold medallist at the Torino 2025 FISU Games, thanks to a 2-1 victory last night against Canada in overtime in the final of the women’s tournament.
Everything is louder at finals: the music, the energy, the beating hearts, the shouts from the sidelines. And so it was today’s for the gold at Pala Tazzoli in Torino, the only ones to rejoice in the end, however, were the Czechs, thanks to the feat of their athletes who played a game of great intensity. The Czech players resisted, exploiting at speed every space left on the ice by their adversaries.
After the first two periods ended goalless, the Czech Republic took the lead in the third period, thanks to Barbora Bartakova’s goal. The Canadian equaliser came a few seconds later, through Sydney Mercier. The teams fought in every action, but at the end of the third period it was still tied. It goes into extra time, where the winner will be decided by the golden goal: whoever scores first wins. A point immediately after the start of the overtime period gives Canada the illusion of victory, but it was cancelled due to an irregularity. In the end it was the Czech Republic who found the goal of glory: the hero of the evening was Anna Vanickova, who sent the Czech Republic fans into ecstasy by scoring after a sprinting action.
Last night’s gold medal was a well-deserved triumph after a fine tournament, with five wins out of five. “Everyone is playable and we can play against everyone. We just give everything to it all of our hearts and everything we had left.”, the team captain, Anna Kotounova, said.
Honour, however, also goes to Canada, silver medallist, who played a great final, pushing forward until the end.
In the competition for third place, played at 4pm at Pala Tazzoli, Japan won the bronze medal, beating Slovakia 2-1. Scoring for the Japanese were Rao Suzuko and Yuka Chuco, for the Slovaks Livia Kubekova. After a 1-1 draw in the first period, Japan managed to finish the second one point ahead, then held on until the end of the match. “We had a couple of players injured in previous matches, but they wanted to stay with us and support us. We are happy that we won for them as well.”
At the end, after the prize-giving ceremony, the players of the three podium teams posed together for the concluding photograph: a symbol of respect and fair-play, as in the spirit of FISU World University Games.
BIATHLON, MEN’S 12.5 KM PURSUIT
Today, January 20th, the men’s 12.5 km pursuit unfolded in Pragelato Rua, under challenging conditions after heavy overnight snowfall, leaving the track soft and physically demanding.
Ukraine’s Bohdan Borkovskyi claimed a thrilling victory in a race marked by tight competition, frequent position changes, and the need for both precision and endurance. Starting in third position into this pursuit competition, Bohdan Borkovskyi overcame four penalties to secure gold in 37:48.9. His resilience on the skis and ability to capitalize on mistakes from his competitors proved decisive. Borkovskyi took the lead at the halfway mark and held his ground through the final shooting stage, maintaining composure to finish strong despite challenging conditions. Fellow Ukrainian Serhii Suprun, starting 26 seconds behind, delivered a strong performance to claim silver in 38:17.8, finishing +28.9 seconds off the lead. “I started the last lap behind the Frenchman and stayed together with him for much of it, racing side by side. When it came time to push, I managed to overtake him, which was a key moment.”, said the athlete. Suprun’s consistent skiing and efficient transitions helped him climb from his starting position, but four penalties ultimately cost him a shot at gold. “Our plan was to win medals, and when I saw that my colleague Serhii also won, it made me incredibly happy. The Ukrainian flag is waving proudly in Torino!”, declared Borkovskyi. France’s Paul Fontaine secured bronze, crossing the line in 38:22.2, just +33.3 seconds behind Borkovskyi. Fontaine started in 7th position and fought his way to the podium with steady skiing and quick recovery from his four penalties. “The level of competition here is really high. I was aware it would be challenging, but I didn’t realize just how tough it would be until I got here. It was a great surprise, especially as this is my first time participating.” admitted the French athlete. The men’s 12.5 km pursuit proved once again that in biathlon, nothing is guaranteed. Out of 42 starters, only 26 athletes managed to finish the race, as the rest were lapped and removed from competition.
The women’s 10 km pursuit offered the same thrilling action as the men’s, with Poland dominating the race and securing a one-two finish, while Ukraine’s Daryna Chalyk completed the podium with a strong comeback performance. Barbara Skrobiszewska (POL), starting as the sprint winner with Bib 1, showed incredible consistency and focus to take the gold in 37:40.6. “I could tell I wasn’t in the same shape as I was during the sprint, but I tried to give it everything I had on the shooting range. My focus was to stay calm and concentrate on myself.”, said the athlete. Despite incurring three penalties, she maintained her lead throughout the race, balancing strong skiing with careful shooting to ensure her position on the top step of the podium. Amelia Liszka (POL) started 55 seconds behind Skrobiszewska but climbed her way to second place with precise shooting and solid skiing, finishing in 38:10.6, just +30.0 seconds behind her teammate. Ukraine’s Daryna Chalyk, starting from position 9, delivered an impressive performance to claim bronze in 38:38.3. Despite five penalties, Chalyk’s strong skiing helped her recover lost time, showcasing her endurance and determination on the challenging course.
MIXED TEAM PARALLEL COMPETITION AT FISU GAMES
In an exciting knockout format advancing teams through the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, the Mixed Team Parallel competition crowned Sweden as the winners, followed by Switzerland in second place and France in third. This unique event showcases teams of four athletes per nation, two women and two men, racing head-to-head in a parallel format using Giant Slalom gates and panels.
The swidish team won the gold medal in Bardonecchia Melezet thanks to the breath-taking performance of Anna Regina Falk, Carl Axel Lindqvist, Emil Nyberg and Stella Rodling Swanberg. “The team event is not the usual way of skiing, as you might know, but I really enjoy it. You get this great team spirit, with everyone pushing each other. And at the same time, it’s a one-on-one competition, which makes it even more exciting. Normally, you just ski individually and compare times, but this format adds something special.”, admitted Alex Lindqvist. Loïc Chable, Mathilde Phillips, Sue Piller and Gino Stucki are the Swiss athletes who landed the silver medal in today’s competitions. Followed by France’s Louison Accambray, Marjolaine Ollier, Paul Silvestre and Jonas Skabar. “It’s third place as a team, we wanted more, but a medal is a medal, and we’re content with that. I hope it motivates the girls for tomorrow’s Slalom. I compete individually in the Slalom as well, which takes place on Wednesday 22 January.”
