2023 World University Games Team Announcement

Lake Placid 2023 Scheudle & Results

Snow Australia and UniSport Australia are pleased to announce a team of sixteen athletes to represent Australia at 2023 World University Games (WUG) in Lake Placid, USA, in January. Four Alpine skiers, nine Cross Country skiers, two Snowboarders and one Ski Cross athlete will take part in 13 different events over a 10-day period from January 12-22

In typical fashion for World University Games, the events for the various disciplines are spread across different venues. The Alpine events will take place at Whiteface Mountain, about 15km to the north-east of Lake Placid, while the Cross Country events are at Mt Van Hoevenberg, about 15km to the south. Ski Cross is pretty much in downtown Lake Placid, together with the the Freestyle events Big Air and Slopestyle (which Australia is not participating in). Snowboard on the other hand is at the other extreme, about 120km away at Gore Mountain.

The Alpine contingent competing at Whiteface Mountain features two Australian skiers who race for the University of Utah on the NCAA circuit in Madi Hoffman and Katie Parker. Both Hoffman and Parker were selected to the Australian Team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, however Hoffman was ruled out of competing just days from the event with an ACL injury. Hoffman, Parker, Hugh McAdam and ski cross athlete Alfred Wenk are all members of the National Alpine Ski Team (NAST).

Of the nine Cross Country athletes, Seve de Campo brings the most experience, having made his Winter Olympic debut in Beijing 2022 and having competed at two World Championships in 2019 and 2021.

"I am excited to compete at the World University Games in many of the same ways I was excited to compete at the Olympics earlier this year, and I am definitely happy to lead a younger team," said de Campo.

"I'm really looking forward to the atmosphere of the event. I think it will have a similar buzz to the Olympics, having all these different disciplines and many different countries coming to together in a large multi-sport event. With the field probably a bit thinner than at the Olympics, I'm hoping to grab some high placings."

Seve de Campo's high-level, international racing career started in the US, when he participated in the 2017 FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships in Soldier Hollow, Utah. He's now keen to tick off another famous American Winter Olympic venue in Lake Placid, where the Games were held in 1980. 

The Australian XC team is also excited about having the opportunity to enter men's and women's relay events at the WUG for the first time since 2007.

"There are a lot of promising younger athletes on the team, who are showing professional attitudes and a willingness to learn. I think we can focus on having good race prep plans, strong routines and fearless skiing on the track," de Campo concluded.

The XC team will be supported in Lake Placid by Snow Australian XC coach Alexei Sotskov, assistant coach/manager Victoria Vinidiktova, and wax technician Toni Escher. Escher and Fabian Mauz (who is the Head Tech for the German WUG team) were the backbone of the XC waxing team for Australia at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The WUG will be the first big international event for Australia's two snowboarders Mia Chawner and Georgia Brose, who will  becompeting in the parallel slalom and parallel giant slalom events.

Visit the Official WUG page here

Lake Placid 2023 Scheudle & Results

The Australian team for the 2023 World University Winter Games: