Introduction

Staged every two years in a different city, the winter edition of the FISU World University Games is a celebration of international university sports and culture. With several thousand student-athletes competing in each event edition, the FISU World University Games is among the word's largest winter multi-sports competition.

Embracing FISU’s motto of ‘Excellence in Mind and Body,’ the FISU World University Games incorporate an educational aspect into the sports competitions which allows university student-athletes to celebrate high sports performance while continuing their education with the local host city.

The eleven-day competition programme includes nine compulsory sports at every winter edition of the FISU World University Games. To stay on the leading edge of sport delivery and innovation, organising committees can also include up to three optional sports from the FISU Recognised Sports and World University Championships programme for inclusion in their edition of the FISU World University Games.

In 2013, the Trentino Winter Universiade drew an event best 2,668 competitors to the Italian Alps. In 2019, the Krasnoyarsk Winter Universiade saw a record 58 countries compete in the heart of Siberia in the Russian Federation.

What's to come when Lucerne hosts the 30th Winter Universiade

Sitting in the heart of Central Switzerland, Lucerne is an idyllic setting for the Winter Universiade's return to the Alps. The Lucerne 2021 organisers have aptly chosen to express this sentiment and pay homage to the Universiade’s return to Switzerland for the first time in 59 years with the “Welcome Home” motto for this event.

Now set to take place from the 11-21 December 2021, the original dates of the 30th Winter Universiade had to be pushed back due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately,  FISU, the local Lucerne 2021 organisers and Swiss University Sports found a way to keep the event on the 2021 programme. 

FISU President Oleg Matytsin expressed gratitude to the Lucerne 2021 organisers for helping assure the premier winter sports event of 2021 stays the event calendar.

“On behalf of everyone at FISU, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the State authorities of Switzerland, the different Cantons and the Lucerne 2021 Organising Committee for their unwavering commitment," the FISU President said. “Let us now deliver on the promise of international university sport for thousands of young athletes around the world.”

“Sport gives many young people an opportunity. The Winter Universiade offers a platform for important issues like high-performance sport and higher education," said Swiss Olympic President Jürg Stahl. “These topics must not be forgotten during the pandemic.”

Added Matthias Remund, Switzerland’s Director of the Federal Office of Sport: “Switzerland needs lighthouse projects like this more than ever in sport.” 

Key Facts about the winter edition of the FISU World University Games 

• The largest international winter multi-sport event for student-athletes

• 11 days of sports competitions

• More than 2,500 participants from over 50 countries

• 1,500 to 3,000 volunteers

• 9 compulsory sports and up to 3 optional sports

• Broadcast to more than 100 countries, reaching over 300 million viewers

Sports Programme at the FISU World University Games 

The competition programme includes nine compulsory sports and up to three optional sports in the winter edition of the FISU World University Games. The compulsory sports are:

FISU World University Games Statistics Book

When looking to the future, it's always helpful to reflect upon the past. Take a  trip down memory lane to the memories, performances, and numbers that have come to define the winter events at the FISU World University Games (formerly Universiade) history through the statistics book. 

Organising the FISU World University Games

At FISU, the Winter Games Department assists and oversees all operational, administrative and logistical support to ensure a successful event. The department oversees all stages of the Games, from candidatures to competition to post-Universiade legacy development. The Department serves as the central link between the different Organising Committees,  National University Sports Federations (NUSFs) and international sports federations. 

The FISU Winter Games team assists the FISU Executive Committee and various FISU committees as they play their very important roles in their respective areas in the management of the FISU World University Games where the transfer of knowledge is paramount.

FISU staff and FISU World University Games organisers work directly with specific FISU Committees to deliver a successful event.

FISU World University Games Regulations for the winter event

• General Regulations

• Technical Regulations

• Medical Services and Doping Control Regulations

• Sport-specific regulations are published on the FISU Sports pages.

• Each edition of the Winter World University Games has specific regulations. We are currently updating the Lucerne 2021 regulations; check back soon and we'll have it here for you!

   

Official Results from the FISU World University Games 

For all results from 2003 to today, visit FISU's online results section.

The FISU World University Games Flame Relay

The FISU World University Games Flame Relay is the ceremonial prelude to the start of the Summer and the Winter FISU World University Games. For the Krasnoyarsk 2019 Winter Universiade, the Flame relay traversed from Torino, Italy to the heart of Siberia, which set the stage for a most spectacular lead-in to the world's premier winter university sports event. 

The ignition of the FISU Flame began on the University of Turin campus in Torino, Italy — the birthplace of the modern World University Games — with the flame then travelling to previous World University Games host cities before the domestic part of the Relay of the World University Games Flame relay concluded in the Russian Federation.

To light the flame of thousands of hearts is a notable team effort; 665 flame bearers carried the fire for 164 days through four countries to bring the Universiade spirit from its sporting roots to its future.

To find out more and mark the route of the FISU World University Games Flame Relay as it made its way to the Universiade Cauldron in Krasnoyarsk, check out this special page dedicated to the flame relay.

The latest on Central Switzerland's preparations for the Lucerne 2021 Winter Universiade

Video and news highlights from the most recent event, the Krasnoyarsk 2019 Winter Universiade

Defining images from the Krasnoyarsk 2019 Winter Universiade

Hosting 

For more information on what it takes to hold the world's premier global winter multisports event for student-athletes in your city, check out the FISU World University Games section of the hosting page.

Contact

For more information, please contact the FISU Winter Games Department at wintergames@fisu.net.