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Home News Former Universiade Participants win 31 Medals at IAAF Worlds

Former Universiade Participants win 31 Medals at IAAF Worlds

Summer Games 9 September 2015

 

LAUSANNE – Many former Universiade participants compete at the IAAF Athletics World Championships. This year’s 15th edition in Beijing, China was no exception. Looking only at the athletes who made the finals of each discipline, we count 127 former Universiade student-athletes. 31 of them won a medal, i.e. 10 gold, 8 silver and 13 bronze. This means that ten former Universiade participants (six men and four women) became a World Champion in their discipline this year.

Pawel Fajdek (POL) winning gold in Kazan

The list of these ten is as follows:

  • Matej TÓTH (SVK) – M Race Walking 50km – (2005 SU: 8th M 20km; 2003 SU: 10th M 20km);

  • Shawnacy BARBER (CAN) – M Pole Vault – (2013 SU: 11th M pole vault);

  • Wayde VAN NIEKERK (RSA) – M 400m – (2013 SU: bronze M 4x400m relay);

  • Rasheed DWYER (JAM) – M 4x100m Relay – (2013 SU: silver M 200m; 2011 SU: gold M 200m);

  • Sergey SHUBENKOV (RUS) – M gold 110m Hurdles (2013 SU: bronze M 110m hurdles);

  • Pawel FAJDEK (POL) – M Hammer – (2015 SU: gold M hammer, 2013 SU: gold; 2011 SU: gold);

  • Danielle WILLIAMS (JAM) – W 100m Hurdles – (2015 SU: gold W 100m hurdles; 2013 SU: bronze);

  • Maria KUCHINA (RUS) – W High Jump – (2013 SU: silver W high jump);

  • Kathrina MOLITOR (GER) – W Javelin – (2009 SU: 4th W javelin; 2007 SU: 6th W javelin);

  • Jessica ENNIS-HILL (GBR) – W Heptathlon – (2005 SU: bronze W heptathlon).

Philip Milanov (BEL) on the podium in GwangjuInteresting to know also is that the medal podium of the men’s Hammer Throwing competition was fully mounted by former Universiade athletes. Besides gold medallist Pawel FAJDEK (POL), who has been a Universiade champion three consecutive times – in Shenzhen, Kazan and this year in Gwangju – silver went to Dilshod NAZAROV (TJK), who only reached the 12th place at the 2001 SU in Beijing and bronze was won by Pawel’s compatriot Wocjiech NOWICKI, who ended 5th at the 2013 SU in Kazan. Also, on the women’s Javelin podium, the gold and bronze medallists, respectively German Kathrina MOLITOR (2009 SU: 4th W javelin; 2007 SU: 6th W javelin) and South African Sunette VILJOEN (2011 SU: gold W javelin; 2009 SU: gold, 2007 SU: 5th; 2005 SU: 12th), were former SU participants who dominated the podium. The Men’s Discus podium in Beijing also was crowded by former student-athletes with Belgian Philip MILANOV (2015 SU: M gold) grabbing silver and Polish Robert URBANEK (2011 SU: M 5th) settling for bronze.

Jobodwana (RSA) with his Kazan goldHowever, the biggest surprise maybe came from South African Anaso Jobodwana (2013 SU: gold M 100m, gold M 200m) came close to sprint legend Usain Bolt in the Men’s 200m final grabbing a bronze medal. Let’s keep an eye on him for future events!

It’s very promising to see that these 127 athletes are spread out over all athletics disciplines. In detail it looks as follows:

  • 18 former SU participants – winning 3 medals (1 gold & 2 bronze) in Race Walking;

  • 6 former SU participants – winning 2 medals (1gold & 1 bronze) in Pole Vault;

  • 22 former SU participants – winning 7 medals (1 gold, 2 silver & 4 bronze) in the Jumping Disciplines (high, long, triple);

  • 13 former SU participants – winning 1 medal (1bronze) in Shot Put;

  • 7 former SU participants – winning 2 medals (1silver & 1 bronze) in Discus;

  • 8 former SU participants – winning 3 medals (1 gold, 1 silver & 1 bronze) in Javelin;

  • 12 former SU participants – winning 3 medals (1 gold, 1 silver & 1 bronze) in Hammer Throwing

  • 3 former SU participants in Decathlon;

  • 4 former SU participants – winning 1 medal (1 gold) in Heptathlon;

  • 34 former SU participants – winning 3 medals (1 gold, 1 silver & 1 bronze) in the Running disciplines).

Nelson Evora in action at the 2009 SULet’s also note that among those 127 former Universiade athletes, there were six Olympic Champions competing in Beijing, i.e.

  • Jessica ENNIS-HILL (GBR) – 2012 Olympic Champion W Heptathlon;
  • Barbora ŠPOTÁKOVÁ (CZE) – 2008 & 2012 Olympic Champion W Javelin;
  • Anna CHICHEROVA (RUS) – 2012 Olympic Champion W High Jump;
  • Olga RYPAKOVA (KAZ) – 2012 Olympic Champion W Triple Jump;
  • Gerd KANTER (EST) – 2008 Olympic Champion M Discus;
  • Tomasz MAJEWSKI (POL) – 2008 & 2012 Olympic Champion Shot Put;
  • Nelson ÉVORA (POR) – 2008 Olympic Champion Triple Jump;

You can download a more detailed overview here.

 

Christian Pierre, FISU Press Officer