The 29th Winter World University Games or so-called Winter Universiade officially started on March 2nd in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. 2,500 young athletes from more than fifty countries are competing for medals in eleven sports: alpine skiing, bandy, biathlon, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, short track, ski orienteering, snowboarding.
Eighty university students, including four students of Palacký University Olomouc, represent the Czech Academic world this year.
Among the participants is a young ski crosser Jitka Dulajová, who is studying optometry at the Faculty of Science, an orienteering runner Vojtěch Matuš from Recreation and Leisure Studies at the Faculty of Physical Culture as well as students of Physical Education and Sport, hockey players Jan Sedlák and Ondřej Horváth.
Besides students, two academics from the Faculty of Physical Culture are also participating, namely the Vice-Dean for Organization Dr. Iva Dostálová and Dr. Svatopluk Horák, who is a member of the Executive Committee of the Czech Association of University Sports (ČAUS), organizing the Czech team.
Czech athletes are trying to build on the successes of their colleagues at previous Winter Universiade. Two years ago, they took home nine medals from Almaty in Kazakhstan and in 2015, they won eleven.
The Winter Universiade is taking place from 2nd to 12th March. You can follow our team and the results HERE.