NEWS: Gee-Gees well-represented at 2021 FISU Winter Universiade

The University of Ottawa will send seven representatives to the upcoming 2021 FISU Winter Universiade in Lucerne, Switzerland.

U SPORTS announced on Tuesday that nine teams from seven sports will travel to Switzerland to take part in the event, originally scheduled for January 2021. Canada will compete in ice hockey (W & M), curling (W & M), alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, snowboarding and short track speed skating. This is the first FISU Universiade since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Gee-Gees women's hockey team leads the way with three representatives attending the games. Fourth-year defender Christine Deaudelin and second-year goalie Aurélie Dubuc will don the maple leaf, Deaudelin for the second time after her selection to the team for the Krasnoyarsk games in 2019. Joining the pair is Gee-Gees assistant coach Greg Bowles, who has previously been on Canada's coaching staff at two Universiades in 2017 and 2019.

Representing the men's hockey program is second-year defenseman Nicolas Mattinen, as well as head coach Patrick Grandmaître, both of whom are attending their first games. Grandmaître has previously been on-staff with the U SPORTS All-Star team that takes on Canada's National Junior Team, however this will be his first Universiade coaching experience. 

From the Gee-Gee nordic skiing team, Zoë Pekos and Shilo Rousseau will have the opportunity to represent Canada in biathlon at the games, which will be their first.

The Lucerne 2021 Opening Ceremony will take place on December 11 at 7:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. EST). However, curling and ice hockey matches will occur in the days leading up to the official opening.