Canada wins 15 medals at World University Games

BELGRADE, Serbia – Team Canada ended the 25th Summer Universiade with a bang Sunday afternoon at Red Star Stadium, capturing its second gold medal of the biennial FISU Games courtesy of the women’s 4x400 metres relay.

Summer Universiade website: www.universiade-belgrade2009.org

Team Canada website: www.universitysport.ca/belgrade

The red and white ends the Belgrade Universiade with 15 medals, one fewer than in 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand. The 2009 tally includes a pair of gold, seven silver and six bronze.

“I think we had a very successful Games,” said Canadian chef de mission Drew Love from McGill University. “Fifteen medals is a solid result for us and finishing off with gold in the women’s 4x400, our very last event, is very exciting for everybody. We should all be proud of what we’ve done.

“I personally had a lot of fun because I had a chance to see as many of our athletes in action as possible. To see how every sport has its own nuances and its own flavour, to watch Canadian athletes give their best everywhere they went was very exciting for us. We were extremely well represented by our student-athletes.

“I have to compliment our hosts from Serbia for putting together a wonderful event for us.”

Canada finished 13th overall in the medal standings. Russia topped all countries for the second straight Universiade with 76 podiums (27-22-27), followed by Japan with 73 medals (20-21-32) and China with 58 (22-21-15). Host Serbia was 10th with 19 medals (5-5-9).

In addition to Sunday’s triumph by the women’s track relay comprised of Carline Muir of Edmonton, Amonn Nelson of Calgary, Kimberly Hyacinthe of Terrebonne, Que., and Esther Akinsulie of Kanata, Ont., Canada’s other gold medal came on Saturday night when swimmer Kevyn Peterson of Salmon Arm, B.C., touched the wall first in the women’s 400m freestyle.

All of Canada’s medals at the Games came at the track and in the pool, with athletics reaching the podium on eight occasions (1-3-4) and swimming seven times (1-4-2).

The eight medals at the stadium represent the second highest Canadian total in history in athletics at the FISU Games, behind 13 podiums in 1983 in Edmonton, while the relay victory was Canada’s first gold in track and field since 1983.

Canada’s best result in team sports in Belgrade came from the women’s water polo squad, which finished fourth as the sport was making its Universiade debut. Men’s volleyball and women’s soccer both reached the quarterfinals, ending up in sixth place and seventh position, respectively.

The 2011 Summer Universiade will be held in Shenzhen, China.

Canadian Medals

Gold
Athletics: Carline, Muir (Edmonton, Alta., / University of Alberta), Amonn Nelson (Calgary, Alta., / U of Calgary), Kimberly Hyacinthe (Terrebonne, Que. / Vanier College), Esther Akinsulie (Kanata, Ont. / Carleton U), women’s 4x400m relay

Swimming: Kevyn Peterson (Salmon Arm, B.C. / U of Calgary), 400m freestyle

Silver
Athletics: Jim Steacy (Lethbridge, Alta. / U of Lethbridge), hammer throw

Athletics: Michael Mason (Nanoose Bay, B.C. / U of British Columbia), high jump

Athletics: Esther Akinsulie (Kanata, Ont. / Carleton U), 400m

Swimming: Keith Beavers (Orangeville, Ont. / U of Waterloo), 200m individual medley

Swimming: Katy Murdoch (Calgary, Alta. / U of Calgary), 100m backstroke

Swimming: Kevyn Peterson (Salmon Arm, B.C. / U of Calgary), 200m freestyle

Swimming: Kevyn Peterson (Salmon Arm, B.C. / U of C), Breanna Hendriks (Cochrane, Alta. / U of C), Seanna Mitchell (Manotick, Ont. / U of C), Katy Murdoch (Calgary, Alta. / U of C), women’s 4x200m freestyle relay

Bronze
Athletics: Ruky Abdulai (Coquitlam, B.C. / Simon Fraser U), long jump

Athletics: Daniel Harper (Brampton, Ont. / York U), 400m

Athletics: Rebecca Johnstone (Bowen Island, B.C. / B.C. Institute of Technology), 800m

Athletics: Carline Muir (Edmonton, Alta. / U of Alberta), 400m

Swimming: Marie-Pier Ratelle (Quebec City, Que. / Laval U), Breanna Hendriks (Cochrane, Alta. / U of C), Katy Murdoch (Calgary, Alta. / U of C), Seanna Mitchell (Manotick, Ont. / U of C), women’s 4x100m freestyle relay

Swimming: Ray Betuzzi (Calgary, Alta. / U of Minnesota), Brian Johns (Richmond, B.C. / U of British Columbia), Keith Beavers (Orangeville, Ont. / U of Waterloo), Matthew Swanston (Newmarket, Ont. / Stanford U), men’s 4x200m freestyle

Canadian Team Sports Results

Women’s water polo: 4th place

Men’s volleyball: 6th place

Women’s soccer: 7th place

Men’s basketball: 9th place

Men’s soccer: 12th place

Women’s volleyball: 13th place

Men’s water polo: 13th place

Women’s basketball: 15th place

Medal Table

1. Russia 76 (27 gold, 22 silver, 27 bronze)

2. Japan 73 (20-21-32)

3. China 58 (22-21-15)

4. South Korea 47 (21-11-15)

5. USA 39 (13-13-13)

6. Ukraine 31 (7-11-13)

6. Italy 31 (6-14-11)

8. Poland 24 (6-10-8)

9. France 21 (4-8-9)

10. Serbia 19 (5-5-9)

11. Chinese Taipei 17 (7-5-5)

11. Germany 17 (3-3-11)

13. CANADA 15 (2-7-6)

About the Summer Universiade

The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years, and is second only to the Olympic Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. The Universiade is open to competitors between the ages of 17 and 28 in the year of the Games who are 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.

-CIS-

For more information:

Michel Bélanger

Communications Manager

Team Canada

2009 Summer Universiade

belanger [at] universitysport.ca">belanger [at] universitysport.ca

Cell: 064-0922989

From Canada dial: 011-381-64-0922989