MINSK, 19 February (BelTA) – Belarus will field athletes in four sports at the 29th Winter Universiade due in Krasnoyarsk on 2-12 March, BelTA has learned.
The Belarusian delegation will include athletes who will compete in biathlon, cross-country skiing, ski orienteering and freestyle skiing. Arina Yaborova, one of the members of the Belarus biathlon squad at the Universiade 2019, former Russian citizen, said that she was unhappy with her results this season and hopes to improve them in Krasnoyarsk. “I believe that the main tournaments are still ahead of me. I am looking forward to the Universiade and consider it as one of the most important events. We, the athletes, almost have no experience of student life and this is a chance to get a feeling of it,” she said.
On 19 February Krasnoyarsk held a ceremony to launch the Universiade 2019 flame bowl near Platinum Arena which will host the opening ceremony on 2 March. The bowl weighs nine tonnes, is 10m high and 4.3m wide.
All in all, the Universiade will have 76 medal events in 11 sports: biathlon, Alpine skiing, curling, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, ski orienteering, figure skating, freestyle, ice hockey, bandy and short track speed skating.
The mascot of the Winter Universiade 2019 is U-Laika, a Siberian dog of Laika breed, a symbol of loyalty, friendliness, joy and unrestrained energy.
