Photo credit: Rene Miko
OSRBLIE, Slovakia (CIS) – Canada got off to a modest start Sunday at the 2015 Winter Universiade as the biennial competition officially got underway with the first biathlon finals.
The biathlon and Nordic skiing events of the 27th FISU Winter Games take place in Slovakia until Feb. 1st, while all other competitions will be staged in Granada, Spain from Feb. 3 to 14.
In the women’s 15-kilometre individual race, Keely MacCulloch, a University of Alberta Augustana Campus student from Calgary, was the top Canadian, finishing in 37th position with a time of 58:26.2. Jessica Paterson, a University of Alberta student from St. Albert, Alta., ended up two spots behind in 59:54.5.
Alina Raikova, a 2014 Olympian from Kazakhstan, captured gold with a time of 47:29.4.
In the men’s 20 km, Evan Girard, a University of Saskatchewan student from Oxbow, Sask., was the best Canuck in 1:04.50.8, good for 46th place. Sasha Eccleston of Hinton, Alta. (U of A – Augustana), was 52nd in 1:10.51.6, while Reagan Mills of Truro, N.S. (UPEI), took the start but was disqualified.
Ukraine’s Dmytro Rusinov was crowned Universiade champion thanks to his time of 49:52.8.
Canadian biathletes will be back in action on Tuesday at the FISU Games to compete in the women’s 7.5 km and men’s 10 km sprint events.
Team Canada website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/winter/2015/index
Strbske Pleso/Osrblie website: http://www.tatry2015.sk/
Granada 2015 website: http://www.granada2015.org/en/
SUNDAY, JANUARY 25 RESULTS
BIATHLON
Women’s 15km Individual
1. Alina Raikova, Kazakhstan, 47:29.4; 2. Ekaterina Avvakumova,
Russia, 47:38.4; 3. Paulina Fialkova, Slovakia, 48:11.1; 37. Keely
MacCulloch, Calgary, Alta., 58:26.2; 39. Jessica Paterson, St.
Albert, Alta., 59:54.5.
Men’s 20km Individual
1. Dmytro Rusinov, Ukraine, 49:52.8; 2. Vadim Filimonov, Russia,
50:15.4; 3. Yuri Shopin, Russia, 51:18.0; 46. Evan Girard, Oxbow,
Sask., 1:04.50.8; 52. Sasha Eccleston, Hinton, Alta., 1:10.51.6;
DSQ Reagan Mills, Truro, N.S.; DNS Sam West, Grand Prairie,
Alta.
About the Winter Universiade
The Winter Universiade is a biennial international multi-sport
event open to competitors who are at least 17 and less than 28
years of age as of January 1 in the year of the Games. Participants
must be full-time students at a post-secondary institution
(university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a
post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.
The Granada Universiade will feature nine compulsory sports and one
optional sport. Compulsory sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, ice
hockey, curling, nordic skiing, short track speed skating, figure
skating, synchronized skating, snowboarding. Optional sport:
freestyle skiing.
NOTE: Biathlon and nordic skiing will take place in Strbske Pleso
and Osrblie, Slovakia from Jan. 24 to Feb. 1, prior to the start of
the Games in Granada.
Official website: www.granada2015.org
About Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Every year, over 11,500 student-athletes and 700 coaches from 56 universities and four regional associations vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit www.cis-sic.ca or follow us on:
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