LAKE PLACID, N.Y.– University of Denver skiing athletes picked up seven medals at the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games that were held from Jan. 13-22.
 
Sophomore Nordic skier Andreas Kirkeng garnered four medals, earning an individual silver in the 10K freestyle pursuit and a bronze in the 10K classic as well as two in relay events with Team Norway—a bronze in the classic mixed relay and a silver in the 7.5K classic/freestyle relay.
 
Freshman alpine skier Sara Rask garnered two pieces of hardware, as she helped Team Sweden win the parallel slalom last Thursday before coming in third in women's slalom the next day.
 
Freshman Nordic skier Selma Andersen won a silver medal with Team Norway in the 5K classic/freestyle relay and produced solid showings throughout the week. She came in eighth in the women's 5K classic and sixth in the 5K pursuit freestyle after posting the third-fastest time in the pursuit leg.
 
Denver had two other alpine skiers compete at the winter games, with junior Nora Brand representing Germany and freshman Mia Hunt wearing the colors of the United States. Brand placed fifth in both women's giant slalom and slalom. Hunt's best finish over the 10 days was in 13th in slalom, but she also raced in the women's super G (17th) and alpine combined (15th).
 
Junior Hanna Ray only competed in women's freestyle sprints as she crashed in warmup prior to the 5K classic.
 
The courses that the alpine and cross country athletes competed on will likely be the same ones that they'll see in March, as the 2023 NCAA Championships will also be held in Lake Placid. Alpine events were held at Whiteface Mountain Resort while Nordic raced at Mount Van Hoevenberg at the Olympic Sports complex.
 
This was the 30th World University Games, with the event being administered by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). It is considered the second largest multi-sport winter event in the world after the Winter Olympics and features athletes ages 17-25. This was the third time that the games have been held in the U.S. and the second time that Lake Placid had served as a host (1972; Buffalo, summer 1993).
 
UP NEXT: The Denver alpine skiers begin their regular season with the Westminster Invitational in Snowbird, Utah, this Thursday and Friday before wrapping up the Montana State Invitational next week. The next Nordic races are on Feb. 3-4 with the start of the Colorado Invitational in Steamboat Springs.
 
 
WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES DENVER RESULTS
 
Friday, Jan. 13
Alpine Women's Super G
17. Mia Hunt (USA), 54.134
 
Cross Country Classic Mixed Relay (7.8K)
3. Norway 1 (Andreas Kirkeng w/Karianne Olsvik Dengerud), 20:55.61
 
Saturday, Jan. 14
Women's Alpine Combined (Super G/Slalom)
15. Mia Hunt (USA), 1:44.71 (52.44/52.27)
 
Sunday, Jan. 15
Cross Country Women's 1.2K Freestyle Sprints
32. Hanna Ray (NOR), 3:06.18 QFT
54. Selma Andersen (NOR), 3:16.47 QFT
 
Cross Country 1.2K Men's Freestyle Sprints
DNS: Andreas Kirkeng (NOR)
 
Tuesday, Jan. 17
Alpine Women's Giant Slalom
5. Nora Brand (GER), 2:07.99 (1:04.45/1:03.54)
22. Mia Hunt (USA), 2:10.51 (1:07.33/1:03.18)
32. Sara Rask (SWE), 2:13.84 (1:08.50/1:05.34)
 
Cross Country Women's 5K Classic (Interval Start)
8. Selma Andersen (NOR), 14:10.1
DNS: Hanna Ray (FIN)
 
Cross Country Men's 10K Classic (Interval Start)
3. Andreas Kirkeng (NOR), 24:54.6
 
Wednesday, Jan. 18
Cross Country Women's 5K Pursuit Freestyle
6. Selma Andersen (NOR), 13:15.6 Total Time/12:25.6 Pursuit Time (3rd)
 
Cross Country Men's 10K Pursuit Freestyle
2. Andreas Kirkeng (NOR), 22:53.9 Total Time/22:36.9 Pursuit Time (2nd)
 
Thursday, Jan. 19
Alpine Parallel Slalom
1. Sweden (Sara Rask, Run 1, Win, 20.59)
 
Friday, Jan. 20
Alpine Women's Slalom
3. Sara Rask (SWE), 1:55.51 (57.27/58.30)
5. Nora Brand (GER), 1:56.39 (57.20/59.19)
13. Mia Hunt (USA), 1:58.93 (58.82/1:00.11)
 
Cross Country Women's 5K Relay Classic/Freestyle
2. Norway (Selma Andersen, 2nd, FS), 43:50.3
 
Cross Country Men's 7.5K Relay Classic/Freestyle
2. Norway (Andreas Kirkeng, 4th, FS), 1:17:29.8
 
Sunday, Jan. 22
Cross Country Men's 30K Freestyle (Mass Start)
DNS: Andreas Kirkeng (NOR)
 
Cross Country Women's 15K Freestyle (Mass Start)
14. Selma Andersen (NOR), 41.25.1

 
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