Championships to watch out for in the 2020 season

LAUSANNE – Next year’s World University Sailing Championship may just set the bar very high. Slated to be held in Campione del Garda, Italy, from 30 June to 4 July 2020, the sailing championship will be staged at a venue that is truly world class.

“Several Olympic national sailing teams train from this regatta site, for the outstanding conditions that are on offer,” says Andy Fethers, FISU’s Technical Committee Chair who was part of the inspection visit in August.

The site, on the banks of the Garda Lake, is not just a picturesque one, but evidently one of the best spots in the world, for sailing. The event will also be special because of the format –a mixed regatta with two men and two women making up the four-person crew. The mixed team ensures a perfect gender balance and is an exciting format, one that FISU aims to include in several more sports.

Another upcoming Championship that can already boast of an excellent venue is Canoe Sprint, which will be held in Minsk, Belarus from 21-23 August 2020.

Thanks to the recently held European Games, Minsk is teeming with brand new, top-line sports facilities and the canoe venue is no different.

“The canoe venue is so ready that they can organise a world championship tomorrow,” says Fiona Testuz, of FISU’s World University Championships department. “Even the broadcast facilities are ready to go. Our Technical Committee Chair Zeljko Rajkovic said the organisation could be among the best in the world.”

August also saw FISU inspection visits to Wonju and Gangjin in Korea, for the Cheerleading and Weightlifting Championships that will be held in September and October 2020 respectively, as well as to Smolensk in Russia that will host Orienteering next July.

“The Weightlifting athletes heading to Gangjin will have an opportunity to experience authentic Korean culture during their stay – the city has a unique attraction thanks to its location and its history,” says FISU Director General Paulo Ferreira.

“The city of Wonju is also experienced in hosting sporting events, and I am sure all Cheerleading participants will encounter a perfect atmosphere. The city was also very active during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and continues to be a winter sport hub.”

The Orienteering course in Smolensk will be in the Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park, a rich forest wetland ecosystem of 35 lakes which is home to a number of rare bird species. Despite being a secluded biosphere, the Park is not far from the city centre either and the participating athletes will have the convenience of being housed in the university campus.

The World University Championship 2020 season will kick off in the first week of March next year and continue through until late November. With 31 individual Championships on the calendar, the season promises to be an action-packed one. Registration for the 2020 Championships is open and FISU invites its member federations to register .