Swimmer Andrew Abood and track athlete Ian Dewhurst have secured medals overnight as Sydney University experienced their best day yet at the Summer Universiade (World University Games) in Russia.
The two medals on day 5 make up half of the medals won by Australia at the 2013 Summer Universiade thus far. Australia sits in 18th position on the overall medal ladder.
Abood was part of the men’s Australian 4x100m freestyle team that won a silver medal. Australia qualified third fastest for the final earlier in the day, but put in a superb performance in the final (3:16.33) to edge out Italy (3:16.64). Russia, the hosts, took the gold medal.
On the first day of action in the pool, a further two Sydney University athletes competed.
Hayley White looks like a great medal chance in the women’s 200m backstroke after she cruised through to the final, recording a time of 2:10.52 in the semi-final. It was a substantially faster swim that her heat swim (2:11.48) earlier in the day. White is the second fastest qualifier overall, just behind Daryna Zevina (2:10.36) from the Ukraine.
Melissa Mitchell and the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team have finished fourth in their final overnight. The Australian’s (3:41.89) finished fourth behind Russia (3:38.15), USA (3:38.60) and Canada (3:40.71).
On the track, Ian Dewhurst will take home bronze after finishing third in the 400m hurdles. His time of 49.96 was only marginally bettered by Slovakia’s Martin Kucera (49.79), who broke the Universiade record, and Senegal’s Amadou Ndiaye (49.90).
Dewhurst’s team mate Nick Hough was unlucky to miss out on a spot in the 200m finals after finishing 10th fastest overall in the semi-finals earlier in the day.
Katie-Rae Ebzery contributed six points and an assist as the Australian women’s basketball team put Finland to the sword 95-46. The 49 point victory means that the Australian team has progressed through the group stage as the highest ranked team in Group D. The girls will head into their quarter-final matchup against Canada on Friday as heavy favourites.
Sydney University’s Maddison Schmidt was part of the Australian women’s water polo team that scored with under a minute left in the final quarter to draw 6-6 with the USA in their third group match of the tournament.
In the men’s tournament, Paul Sindone score twice as Australia were defeated 12-7 by Russia. The game was in the balance as the teams begun the final quarter (7-7), but the Australian’s were blown away in the final stanza.
Sydney University has a total of 17 representatives competing for Australia at the 27th Summer Universiade in Russia. Please note that Anneliese Rubie was named in the team but will not compete due to injury.
