1983 Summer Universiade
Multi-sport event in Edmonton, Canada
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The 1983 Summer Universiade, also known as the XII Summer Universiade, took place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between July 1 and 12, 1983. Over 2,400 athletes from 73 countries participated. It was the first ever Summer Universiade held in North America;[1] as of 2026[update], it remains the only time Canada hosted the Summer, or Winter, Universiade (renamed Summer, or Winter, World University Games in 2021).[2] Previously, Edmonton hosted the 1978 Commonwealth Games, and later hosted the 2001 World Championships in Athletics, amongst other international sporting events.
| |
| Host city | Edmonton, Canada |
|---|---|
| Nations | 73 |
| Athletes | 2,400 |
| Events | 117 in 10 sports |
| Opening | July 1, 1983 |
| Closing | July 12, 1983 |
| Opened by | Charles, Prince of Wales |
| Torch lighter | Volleyball Player Tracy Mills and Swimmer Graham Smith |
| Main venue | Commonwealth Stadium |
The official mascot of the event was Wugie the Owl; his name is an acronym of World University Games in Edmonton, and the Owl is the provincial bird of Alberta. The Prince of Wales (now Charles III) opened the Universiade accompanied by Diana, Princess of Wales, and other dignitaries and celebrities also visited the event.[3]
The event was marred by tragedy from the death of Soviet diver Sergei Chalibashvili when he died eight days after hitting his head on the 10 m diving platform in competition while attempting a reverse 3½ in the tuck position.[4][5]
In October 2005, Edmonton was selected as a potential bid candidate to host the 2011 Summer Universiade by the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).[6]
Sports
Various competitions were held, across 10 different sports:[1]
Athletics (40) 
Basketball (2) 
Cycling
- Road cycling (4)
- Track cycling (8)
Diving (4) 
Fencing (8) 
Gymnastics (14) 
Swimming (30) 
Tennis (5) 
Volleyball (2) 
Water polo (1)
Venues
| Venue | Events | Capacity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argyll Velodrome | Track Cycling[7] | Active | |
| Commonwealth Stadium | Athletics | 60,081 | Active |
| Hawrelak Park | Road cycling | Start/finish | Active |
| Kinsmen Aquatic Centre | Diving, Swimming, Water polo | Active | |
| Michener Park | Tennis[8] | Defunct[9] | |
| Northlands Coliseum | Gymnastics[10] | 17,498 | Defunct |
| Universiade Pavilion | Basketball, Volleyball[8] | 5,500 | Active |
Medal table
* Host nation (Canada)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Soviet Union (URS) | 57 | 30 | 25 | 112 |
| 2 |  United States (USA) | 12 | 20 | 21 | 53 |
| 3 |  Canada (CAN)* | 9 | 11 | 18 | 38 |
| 4 |  Italy (ITA) | 8 | 11 | 6 | 25 |
| 5 |  Romania (ROU) | 6 | 12 | 8 | 26 |
| 6 |  China (CHN) | 5 | 5 | 4 | 14 |
| 7 |  Nigeria (NGR) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 |  Great Britain (GBR) | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 9 |  France (FRA) | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 |
| 10 |  Japan (JPN) | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 11 |  Cuba (CUB) | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| 12 |  Australia (AUS) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 13 |  West Germany (FRG) | 1 | 6 | 3 | 10 |
| 14 |  Poland (POL) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 15 |  Belgium (BEL) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 16 |  Brazil (BRA) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 17 |  Netherlands (NED) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 18 |  Yugoslavia (YUG) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 19 |  Tunisia (TUN) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 20 |  Czechoslovakia (TCH) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Senegal (SEN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Tanzania (TAN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 23 |  Austria (AUT) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Bermuda (BER) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Hungary (HUN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Jamaica (JAM) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 New Zealand (NZL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 South Korea (KOR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (28 entries) | 117 | 118 | 116 | 351 | |
Participating nations
Around 2,400 athletes from 73 nations, competed at the 1983 Summer Universiade.[1]
| Participating National University Sports Federations |
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