More Former WU Participants Win Medals at OWG

Team Finland – with 4 former WU participants – lines up against Sweden for the Women’s Bronze medal game (photo: C. Pierre)

At the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada, more former Winter Universiade participants have won a medal.

Biathlete Olga Zaitseva (RUS) won a silver medal in the mass start and anchored the Russian Women’s Relay Team winning the gold medal. A second Olympic gold for the Russian, as she also won the Relay gold at the OWG in Torino in 2006. Talking to the press Olga said her secret to this success was having a child. Giving birth to her son Alexander in 2007 has helped her as an athlete. “My child is my greatest happiness and he is my best little gold medal,” said Ziatseva. “It has made me calmer. I would recommend to the French and German team as well, don’t be afraid, go ahead and have babies … and get better in sports.” Olga is the wife of Milan Augustin, the FISU Director for the Winter Universiade.

Another former WU Medallist (2001, 2003 & 2005) is Slovak biathlete Pavol Hurajt who won the bronze in Vancouver on the 15km mass start.

Sheer happiness also with the Finnish Women’s Ice Hockey team as they won the bronze medal beating Team Sweden in a genuine thriller of a game that went in overtime. Four girls on the Suomi Team were on the roster of the Team that participated in the inaugural Women’s Ice hockey Tournament at the 2009 Winter Universiade in Harbin, China, i.e. Annina Rajahuhta, Linda Valimaki, Minnamari Tuominen and Saija Sirvio where they also took the bronze.

In Cross Country Skiing Polish athlete Justyna Kowalczyk took the silver in the Individual Sprint and the bronze in the 15km pursuit. Kowalczyk participated at the Winter Universiades in Torino (2007) and Innsbruck (2005) where she amassed 6 medals. – C. Pierre, FISU Press Officer

Former WU participant Linda Valimaki in action against Sweden on Vancouver ice (photo: C. Pierre)