22 May 2019

50 DAYS TO GO UNTIL THE

30th SUMMER UNIVERSIADE BEGINS

​

​

With just 50 days until the opening ceremony of the 30th Summer Universiade kicks off in Naples, Italy, the Australian UniRoos team are finalizing their preparations with the final few teams being named for the championships that begin July 3.

 

On the back of a record-breaking 2019 UniSport Nationals Athletics, the Athletics team has named a 59-member team to compete in Naples, one of the largest Australia has ever taken to the Summer Universiade, with 30 females and 29 males ready to light up the Stadio San Paolo track.

​

Among those athletes representing the UniRoos is 800m runner Catriona Bisset (The University of Melbourne, Master of Architecture and Diploma in Languages), who made headlines at the National Championships when she ran a sub-two minute 800m time, becoming the first Australian women to do so since 2008, smashing the UniSport record in the process.

 

Catriona’s time (1:59.78) was also good for fourth fastest all-time by an Australian in the event and was enough to qualify for a spot at the 2019 World Championships later this year.

​

It’s been a whirlwind past few years for Catriona, who has gone from strength to strength since returning to running seriously while studying a Master of Architecture and a Diploma of Chinese language at the University of Melbourne, with the performances impressing even herself.

​

“I had no idea I was going to do that. I was shocked (when I saw the clock). I was running scared the whole time” “I had no idea I was going to get a qualifier, that was completely not in the plan for the year.”

​

​

 

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

Joining Bisset in the squad is 2015 Summer Universiade silver medallist Matthew Denny (Griffith University, Bachelor of Business). Since claiming the silver medal in Gwangju 2015, the Griffith University student has gone on to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, and the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast where he won silver in the Hammer Throw event. But now he is back at the Summer Universiade looking for Gold.

​

Alysha Burnett (Australian Catholic University, Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science) will also be looking to better her silver medal winning performance, having finished second in the Heptathlon at the 2017 Summer Universiade, while 2018 Commonwealth Games 20km racewalk champion Jemima Montag (The University of Melbourne, Bachelor of Science), will represent the UniRoos for the first time.   

​

In the swimming, 2019 will mark the second consecutive appearance at the Summer Universiade for Joshua Parrish (Griffith University, Bachelor of Psychological Science & Criminology) and William Stockwell (The University of Queensland, Bachelor of Business), having represented the UniRoos in 2017 in Taipei, while Jacob Hansford (Australian College of Physical Education, Bachelor of Sports Management) and Jared Gilliland (Queensland University of Technology, Bachelor of Health),  will also compete for the UniRoos for the second time, having both medalled in the 28th Summer Universiade in Gwangju, 2015.

​

Fresh off being crowned Combined Team Champion at the 2019 UniSport Nationals Swimming in Sydney, Griffith University lead the way with seven students named to the team of 26, including Parrish.

​

Australia has a proud history in the swimming at the Summer Universiade, having claimed 83 medals (21 Gold) since 1967, and with a strong team of 16 males and 10 females, expectations are high in Naples.

​

It’s a similar story in the diving, with Emily Meaney (Purdue, Bachelor of Dietetics/Nutrition) and Brittany O’Brien (University of Western Sydney, Bachelor of Design) back for their second Summer Universiade. The pair will be looking to go one better after teaming up to claim the Silver Medal in the Women’s Synchronized 10m Platform in Taipei.

​

 Also joining the diving team is Queensland University of Technology student, Georgia Sheehan (Queensland University of Technology, Bachelor of Interior Design), who will come into the competition on the back of a Gold Medal winning performance in the Women’s Synchronized 3m Springboard at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. In total 10 divers will compete across the Universiade.

​

Meanwhile in the Sailing competition, the team from UNSW Sydney skippered by Tom Grimes (Bachelor of Engineering) will enter the tournament as one of the hot-favourites, having sailed their way to victory at the 2018 World University Sailing Championships. Returning from the Championship winning crew along with Tom will be Nicholas Rozenauer (Bachelor of Engineering/Commerce) and Tom’s twin sister Jessica Grimes (Bachelor of Arts/Law), with Annelise Scholten (Bachelor of Media) rounding out the all-UNSW Sydney crew.

​

Squads have also been named to compete in the Archery, Basketball, Fencing, Judo, Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Shooting, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis and Water polo.

​

The UniRoos team will merge on Naples ready for the Opening ceremony on July 3. Competition will run over 12 days in 18 sports (with Australia competing in 15 of those), with over 200 Gold medals on offer.

​

The full UniRoos team selected to compete can be found here.

​

​

​

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

25 March 2019

​

100 DAYS UNTIL THE FLAME IGNITES FOR

THE 30th SUMMER UNIVERSIADE 

​

On 3 July 2019 Australia’s UniRoos will march into the opening ceremony of the 30th Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy.

​

With only 100 days to go before the commencement of 12 days of intense competition, the team to represent the Australia s starting to take shape with Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Sergei Evglevski, set to make his mark at the event.

 

Selected in the shooting team, Evglevski will enter the tournament as one of the favourites after taking home gold in the 25m rapid fire competition at the 2018 World University Championships (WUC).

​

While he feels his title from 2018 will add pressure onto his performance, he is focused on taking on the best student-athletes from across the globe.

​

“I think there is a little bit of pressure on me for sure but there is going to be a lot of really great shooters at the Universiade and any one of them have an equally high chance of performing well,” said the 21 year old.

 

Upon returning from the World University Championships, the Victoria University student went on to take out second place in the 25m rapid fire competition at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and while he believes his participation in the WUC helped prepare him for the Commonwealth Games, Evglevski will take some valuable lessons from his experience on the Gold Coast to Italy.

​

“One thing I learnt at the Commonwealth Games that I can implement at the Universiade is the ability to only focus on your competition and your training.

​

With everything at the event, whether it is the village or the competition venue, being set up for the athletes, it takes the additional stress out of competition,” he added.

​

Currently studying a Bachelor of Business, Evglevski has nothing but praise for the institution’s support of both his studies and sporting career.

​

“Victoria University have been beyond supportive. They always help me with my assignments and all my teachers have been super understanding of the commitment I need to put into shooting. The university has also been amazing in supporting me financially as well which, of course, has been really helpful.”

​

The University of Technology Sydney’s, Elizabeth Morgan-Brett, will once again lead the UniRoos in Italy as the Chef de Mission. With Naples being her third at the helm of the team, the Australian Olympian is excited about the opportunity the Summer Universiade presents to student-athletes.

​

“We are absolutely delighted to have an athlete of Sergei’s calibre on the UniRoos team for Italy. Having someone like Sergei in the team, and I’m sure there will be others, proves how competitive and highly regarded the Universiade is as an international multisport event,” said Morgan-Brett.

​

“Not only does the event enable our current elite athletes like Sergei to continue to compete against the best in his sport, but it also provides a platform from which many student-athletes launch their international career.

​

“We have seen time and time again how competing at the Universiade has been a stepping stone for Olympic and Commonwealth Games success as it was for Dane Bird-Smith (athletics) and Cate Campbell (swimming),” she added.

​

Evglevski will be joined on the shooting team by fellow Commonwealth Games representative, Emma Adams (Flinders University) as well as WUC team mates Thomas Ashmore (University of Canberra), Bailey Groves (The University of Tasmania) and Jack Rossiter (Flinders University), with female pistol shooter, Alison Heinrich (The University of South Australia) rounding out the team.

​

Table Tennis Australia also recently announced its team to compete at the Universiade with the following athletes preparing for their flight to Italy.

​

MEN
Steven Phan (The University of Melbourne)
Joshua Ip (Macquarie University)
Edward Belokoptyov (UNSW Sydney)
Anthony Majtlis (Monash University)

​

WOMEN
Sarah Tan (The University of Sydney)
Antonia Zhang (University of Technology Sydney)
Georgina Newton (The University of Tasmania)
Madeline Goodsell (Deakin University)

​

THE AUSTRALIAN UNIROOS

The Australian UniRoos is the team identity for all UniSport high performance teams representing Australia on the international stage at either a World University Championship, Summer or Winter Universiade. 2019 will be the 25th edition of the Summer Universiade in which UniRoos have competed.

​

THE SUMMER UNIVERSIADE

The Summer Universiade is an international university sports and cultural event that is staged every two years in a different city. These games draw many thousands of student-athletes together to compete, making it one of the largest multisport events in the world. In 2019 the event will be held from 3-14 July in Naples, Italy.

​

Over the 12 days of competition, 17 sports will be contested including archery, athletics, basketball, diving, fencing, football, gymnastics, judo, rugby sevens, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and water polo.