The Russian team secured an overwhelming victory in the overall medals standings at the 2019 Winter Universiade, which ended on Tuesday
KRASNOYARSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th March, 2019) The Russian team secured an overwhelming victory in the overall medals standings at the 2019 Winter Universiade, which ended on Tuesday.For the first time in history the winter student games were held in Russia, in the city of Krasnoyarsk, The Russian team has broken records in the total number of medals, as well as in the number of golds.
The Russian team clinched the top spot in the medal table with 112 medals, including 41 golds, 39 silvers and 32 bronzes. The South Korean team finished second with 14 medals (six golds), followed by the Japanese with 13 medals (five golds).
The Russians broke the record in the number of medals won at one Universiade even prior to its end, on March 8. Previously, the best achievement also belonged to Russia, which national team won 71 medals in Almaty two years ago, also setting a record for golds (29).
Russian athletes won medals in all types of the Universiade program. Skiers and biathletes brought the greatest number of awards to the Russian national team. In the ski race, the Russians grabbed nine gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals. Russian Skiers Alisa Zhambalova and Ivan Yakimushkin won four and three gold medals, respectively. Biathletes won eight golds, seven silvers and six bronzes, and Ekaterina Moshkova became a three-time winner of the student games.
Russians were also successful in snowboarding (6 golds, 7 silvers, 3 bronzes), freestyle skiing (4-5-3), alpine skiing (4-2-3), ski orienteering (4-4-2) and short track (1-2-3). In figure skating, Russian athletes won two gold medals, as well as three silver and three bronze medals. The figure skaters from Russia got a win in pairs skating and ice dancing - Alisa Efimova and Alexander Korovin (champions among couples), Betina Popova and Sergey Mozgov (ice dancing) became champions of the Universiade. Maxim Kovtun and Stanislav Konstantinov won silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Hockey out of all team sports has become the most successful for the Russian team as it has won in both women's and men's tournaments. Russian women's team conquered Canadians 2-0, while the men's team defeated the Slovaks with a score of 2-0.
In the ball-hockey tournament, the Russian men's team won the gold, defeating the Swedes in the finals 6-1. This medal became the 100th for the Russian team at 2019 Winter Universiade. The women's team lost to Sweden 3-5 and won the silver medal.
In curling, Russian women's team won a bronze medal in the tournament after defeating the team from the United Kingdom 12-5. The Russian men's team failed to make the playoffs.
Sergei Seyranov, the President of the Russian Students Sport Union (RSSU), commenting on the results of the Universiade, said that the Russian team's sports reserve was able to test itself at the competitions in Krasnoyarsk before the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
"The medals won at the Universiade are a good emotional recharge for all our athletes to finish this season and enter the future with optimism. Victories are always inspiring, while 10th, 15th, 20th places demotivate. And when there are victories, medals, the podium positions, then it encourages confidence and gives an energy boost. People understand that they are training for a reason, they work hard and have a perspective," the head of the RSSU said.
Many athletes, who were now playing for the main team of the country, had emerged from the Universiade, the executive added.
"In regards to the 2022 Winter Olympics, I think that the Universiade in Krasnoyarsk has made a contribution," Seyranov concluded.
Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov noted that the Universiade was organized at the highest level, and the student games attracted strong interest of the audience.
"We really managed to make a holiday out of it, and it feels really good that the competition sparked the interest of the audience. We set a record for the number of sold tickets, the tribunes at all competitions were completely full," the minister said.
Kolobkov also noted that, despite the success of the Russian national team at the Universiade, cash awards for the winners had not been provided. The minister added that winners would receive the title of master of sports of international class.
"I think that for student athletes the issue of bonuses and finance are not principal because they are not professional athletes. And the Universiade is not a source of income for them," Kolobkov concluded.
Now Russia has experience with hosting the Summer (Kazan in 2013), and Winter ( Krasnoyarsk in 2019) Universiade, but does not plan to stop at this. Yekaterinburg has already made a bid to host the 2023 summer student games.
"The infrastructure facilities that need to be built have been determined," Kolobkov said, noting that the city had recently hosted a few matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and this year there would be the AIBA Men's World Boxing Championships, while Yekaterinburg was also a candidate for the "Expo."
