Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games

Over the next 12 days, over 1400 athletes representing 50 nations will participate in 12 sports disciplines in upstate New York.

The 12 feature sports for the 2023 FISU Games are;

Action is already underway in Lake Placid, with ice hockey and snowboarding taking place before Thursday evening’s spectacular opening ceremony. On the ice, there were comfortable wins for the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan and Canada in the men’s hockey - the Czechs beating Sweden 7-2, Kazakhstan seeing off South Korea 5-1, and Canada cruising past Ukraine 6-1.

While in Potsdam, it was a disappointing start for the US women’s hockey side, who fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Japan. And Friday will see the first medals of this year’s Winter World University Games awarded, with the Men’s and Women’s Super G being the highlight of the day.

Opening Ceremony celebrates heritage and sustainability

The opening ceremony on Thursday evening was held in the Olympic Center in Lake Placid - the iconic ‘Miracle on Ice’ rink made famous during the 1980 Winter Olympics.New York governor Kathy Hochul officially opened the 2023 Lake Placid FISU Games in a ceremony focusing on the heritage of the games and the local area, with greetings from the Oneida Indian Nation and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe.

Governor Huchel commented: “New York is ready to welcome athletes and spectators from all over the world to our state. I wish the best of luck to the athletes competing, and I thank FISU, the organizing committee and partners at every level of government for ensuring that this event is a resounding success. Let the Games begin.”

There was also a warm welcome to athletes from the FISU acting President Leonz Eder who said: “After the harsh years of the global pandemic, we finally meet again here in Lake Placid. The world’s young people suffered hard on behalf of the greater good and the global population. To see so many of them gathered here today is a particularly emotional moment, which should make these World University Games a truly festive occasion, especially after the cancellation of Lucerne 2021.”

Twelve sports will take place in venues across upstate New York, including Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Potsdam, Canton, and Wilmington.

The 2023 FISU World University Games will conclude on January 22 with the men’s gold medal ice hockey match, followed by the closing ceremony in the Herb Brooks Arena.