Forever the pioneer. The Winter Universiade in Turin will close on Thursday, January 23, and the last two days of competition promise to be full of excitement. However, this edition of the World University Games has already made history in the name of a revolution in terms of inclusion: for the first time, the Games invited para-athletes. Two disciplines were represented, alpine skiing and cross-country skiing, with categories adapted to different disabilities. A total of 18 titles were awarded. The Games continue on the Italian snow, but the para-sports competitions are over and the result is clear: a unique experience for all athletes and a powerful message to the world.
A particle accelerator
Athletes and para-athletes competed side by side, and at the same time. "We do the same sports, we are on the same slopes. It's great to see that we are all in the same place, confirms the German Marco Maier, twice crowned in cross-country skiing, in the classic sprint and the 10 km. For me it's a special moment. It's the first time we have the opportunity to compete with able-bodied athletes, I loved the experience." Canadian skier Charles Lecours also welcomed this great first: “It’s a big step in the right direction. We para-athletes work just as hard as everyone else and we really want to be part of the same party, the same event.” Share the stage, but also, for para-sport, benefit from the exposure of able-bodied athletes. A magnifying glass effect beneficial for the growth of these disciplines. Oscar Burnham, crowned in Super G, was thus delighted to “this great opportunity to highlight para-sport at a valid event”Other competition organisers have seen that the formula works, and will therefore more readily consider the possibility of drawing inspiration from it.
“If I could come back…”
The idea could gain traction among brands that want to sponsor these events, as the values associated with para-sport (resilience, courage) are increasingly sought after in terms of image. It will also take root in the minds of para-athletes. Nicolas Bisquertt Hudson arrived in Turin with an already substantial CV, with two participations in the Paralympic Games. The Chilean, the new university world champion in the sitting Super G, nevertheless took a slap in the face. “This event is incredible, I was surprised. I didn’t really know the magnitude of this event, what it was, or how it was going to go. I had no idea what was going to happen. But I was surprised in the most wonderful way you can imagine. The organization is incredible, and I’m so happy to be here. To be honest, if I could come back, I would. Now I can’t because I’m very old”, laughed the man who, at 26, appeared to be one of the veterans of the field.
Among the strong images of these Games, the arrival of the Italian para-skier Filippo Uber, the last participant to cross the line of the classic sprint, under the warm applause of all his competitors in the last meters. The president of FISU, Leonz Eder, definitively validated the experience. “When I saw the para-athletes in alpine skiing, I was deeply impressed. It was very moving to see them competing with the other athletes. I enjoyed it very much. We will improve in the future to include even more para-athletes in our competitions.”, he promised. The Summer Universiade, which will take place from July 16 to 27, 2025 in Germany, will also be open to para-athletes with the integration of 3x3 wheelchair basketball.
