PAUL SMITHS, NY – Paul Smith’s College has finalized an agreement with the Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire to host an estimated 500 collegiate athletes that will compete in the upcoming 2023 FISU World University Games in Lake Placid. The games will be held from January 12-22, 2023, and will include approximately 2,500 athletes from over 600 universities in 50 countries.
The Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games provide an international platform for Paul Smith’s College to showcase its world-class sports, education programs, and the campus in the Adirondacks. The agreement will provide opportunities for current students to gain real-world experience through volunteer and internship opportunities. PSC’s students in Field Studies in Hospitality have already contributed to the sustainability efforts of the Games, working with the Adirondack Sports Council and local hotels to create a lodging sustainability management plan.
Nicholas Hunt-Bull, President of Paul Smith’s College said, “On behalf of the entire Paul Smith’s College community, it is an honor to be hosting collegiate athletes from around the world for the 2023 FISU Games in Lake Placid. It is an exciting opportunity to show off our celebrated campus to collegiate athletes and other organizations from across the globe, as well as open opportunities for our students and faculty. We are proud to be an integral part of the Games to help contribute to the success of the Games for our region.”
Paul Smith’s College, which partners with U.S. Biathlon in the institution’s sport and education initiative, envisions participation from PSC’s biathletes in this year’s World University games. Nordic combined collegiate athletes Aidan Ripp, who competed in the 2022 U.S. Olympic Trials, and Timo Ziegler hope to compete for their chance to be a part of the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games. Dolcie Tanguay and Diego Schillaci, both current PSC collegiate athletes, were originally scheduled to compete in last year’s Games to be held in Luzerne, Switzerland but the event was canceled due to lingering Covid concerns.
Dolcie Tanguay, a PSC collegiate athlete said, “I’ve been looking forward to University Games for a long time and the fact that it is right in our backyard in Lake Placid is so exciting. We at Paul Smith’s are pretty lucky to be able to host athletes on our beautiful campus. It’s going to be a great couple of weeks!”
Aidan Ripp, a PSC collegiate athlete said, “It’s exciting to be able to showcase our campus and the Adirondacks right here at Paul Smith’s. It will be fun to have people of all cultures and countries congregate at this great campus for such a great event.”
Paul Smith’s College faculty will also be a part of the weeks-long event. PSC Sustainability Coordinator and Instructor Kate Glenn and Dr. Curt Stager are on the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World Conference “Save Winter” organizing committee, where Dr. Stager will be a featured speaker presenting research on climate change, the retreat of winter, and how it affects the Adirondacks. The Paul Smith’s College Center for Sustainability will also host a conference event on campus addressing climate change.
“As the world continues to warm, winter is becoming shorter and milder. That is a threat to winter sports worldwide, but here in the Adirondacks it is particularly important because winter, of all the seasons, most clearly defines our sense of place and identity,” said Dr. Curt Stager, PSC Professor of Natural Sciences. “My students at Paul Smith’s College and I have been monitoring climate change and its effects on local animals, plants, and lakes for the past 30 years so we have seen how sensitive Adirondack ecosystems are to warming, as well. But in this beautiful setting where we’ve enjoyed everything from annual Winter Carnivals to two Olympic Winter Games, the cultural effects of climate change can be especially profound for the people who live here.”
Katharine Glenn, Coordinator of the PSC Center for Sustainability said, “Paul Smith’s College has a long history of climate leadership in both research and education, as well as with our sustainable and resilient campus infrastructure planning. The PSC Center for Sustainability is pleased to be a part of the Save Winter Conference team. We look forward to learning from and sharing our knowledge with athletes attending the conference.”
For more information on the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games, visit lakeplacid2023.com
About FISU World University Games:
The FISU World University Games Winter is the largest winter multi-sport collegiate athletic event in the world. University students between the ages of 17 and 25 are eligible to enter. In 2018, Lake Placid was selected to host the 2023 FISU World University Games. New York State is proud to be hosting these games and looks forward to showcasing New York and the North Country to an international audience.
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