2011 SU Update: Canada sends Delegation of 349 to Shenzhen

SHENZHEN – The 26^th Summer Universiade gets under way in less than a week in Shenzhen, China, and once again Canada is sending one of the largest delegations to the biennial World University Games.

A total of 349 individuals will wear the maple leaf in Shenzhen including 246 student-athletes and 103 coaches, medical and administration staff. Not included in the official tally are 11 Canadian referees and judges who will also be part of the FISU Games.

As was the case in 2009 in Belgrade, Serbia, the sport of swimming is sending the largest Canadian team toChina with 43 athletes set to compete at the pool. Athletics ranks second with 36 followed by women’s soccer (20), men’s soccer (20), women’s volleyball (12), men’s volleyball (12), women’s basketball (12), men’s basketball (12), women’s water polo (11), golf (11) taekwondo (10), weightlifting (10), beach volleyball (8), archery (6), table tennis (6), artistic gymnastics (4), sport shooting (4), judo (4), tennis (3) and rhythmic gymnastics (2).

Beach volleyball and weightlifting both make their Universiade debut in 2011.

While the official dates of the Shenzhen Games are July 12 to 23, the two soccer teams kick things off for Canada on Thursday, August 11, both against Great Britain at 4:30 p.m. local time (4:30 a.m. Eastern). 

The action resumes on August 12 with Canada facing the British in women’s water polo at 11:20 a.m. local. The opening ceremonies are scheduled for the evening of the 12^th at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center.

“We are thrilled to be in Shenzhen for what promises to be a memorable Universiade,” said Canadian chef de mission Peter Baxter, the director of athletics and recreation at Wilfrid Laurier University. “We expect very good performances from our Canadian student-athletes and are confident they will have an unforgettable experience over the next few weeks.”

A Canadian delegation of 212 athletes (307 in total) won 15 medals at the last Universiade in 2009, all of them in track and field (8) and swimming (7). The tally included gold medals by the women’s 4x400m relay at the stadium and by Salmon Arm, B.C.’s Kevyn Peterson in the women’s 400m freestyle at the pool. 

(Source: Michel Bélanger, CIS Manager Communications & Media Relations)