Colorado University Athletics

FIVE BUFFS TAKE TO WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES SLOPES

FIVE BUFFS TAKE TO WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES SLOPES
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BOULDER ? University of Colorado head ski coach Richard Rokos and alpine skiers Erika Hogan, Rachel Roosevelt, Kristin Taylor and Lucie Zikova will compete in the 2005 Winter World University Games Jan. 12-22 in Innsbruck, Austria.

 

A Holmes, N.Y. native, Hogan and Roosevelt, who hails from Storrs, Conn., will ski for the United States while Taylor (Montreal, Quebec) will ski for her native Canada and Zikova, from Prague, for the Czech Republic.  The four will race in this week’s Alaska-Anchorage Invitational in Jackson Hole, Wyo., prior to departing from Denver Friday night.  They will compete on the slopes of Casino Arena Seefeld, just 13 miles from Innsbruck.

 

“They will ski in all four events and have a chance to do very well,” said Rokos, whose role of team leader is that of a head coach.  Rokos is being handed the reins of his fifth WWUG team as he has previously taken the 1995 team to Jaca, Span, the 1997 team to Mugu, Kora, the 1999 squad to Zakopane, Poland and the 2002 delegation to Tarvisio, Italy.  Combined, his athletes have brought home three gold medals, four silver and several bronze, including Hogan in the slalom two years ago as a 19-year-old.  She also finished fourth in the combined.

 

The Universiade is an international sporting and cultural festival that is staged every two years (both winter and summer) in a different city.  Considered second in importance only to the Olympic Games, it is open to any competitor between the ages of 17 and 28 who is a university student or has graduated within the previous year.  The International University Sports Federation (FISU), founded in 1949, supervises the Universiades, as well as the World University Championships.  

 

            More than 2,000 participants from 50 countries are expected to take part in the 2005 Winter World University Games.  During the 11-day competition, athletes will compete in 69 medal events in 10 disciplines. 

 

The rest of the Colorado ski team will be competing in the Alaska-Anchorage Invitational this Thursday through Saturday in Jackson Hole, Wyo.  The Buffs are coming off a runner-up finish at the Utah Invitational last week.