1983 Summer Universiade
| 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 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, 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.
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 |
|---|
|
Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Argentina Australia Austria Barbados Belgium Benin Bolivia Botswana Brazil Bulgaria Myanmar Cameroon Canada Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Republic of the Congo Cuba Cyprus Czechoslovakia Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt Ethiopia Finland France Gabon The Gambia East Germany West Germany Ghana Greece Guatemala Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kenya South Korea North Korea Laos Lebanon Lesotho Libya Liechtenstein Luxembourg Mali Malta Mauritania Mexico Monaco Mongolia Morocco Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Peru Paraguay Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Soviet Union Spain Sudan Sweden Switzerland Syria Chinese Taipei Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Uganda United Arab Emirates Great Britain United States Upper Volta Uruguay Venezuela Vietnam Samoa North Yemen South Yemen Yugoslavia Zaire Zambia |
References
- ^ a b c "12th Summer Universiade | Canada, Edmonton | 01 Jul 1983 - 12 Jul 1983". International University Sports Federation. Archived from the original on 2025-10-13. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
- ^ "FISU World University Games - Events". International University Sports Federation. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
- ^ "Highlights from Edmonton's Sport History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-01-04. Retrieved 2014-10-22.
- ^ Burnton, Simon (March 28, 2012). "50 stunning Olympic moments No20: Greg Louganis's perfect dive 1988". The Guardian. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
- ^ "Milestones: Jul. 25, 1983". Time. July 25, 1983. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
- ^ "International Programs - Canadian Interuniversity Sport". Archived from the original on 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
- ^ "Russian bear displays true golden color" (PDF). Sports. The Citizen. United Press International. 1983-07-05. p. 14. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
In an afternoon competition under the sun at the Argyll Velodrome, two Soviet cyclists won the 1,000-meter time trials.
- ^ a b "The summer the world came to North Campus". In the Community. The Quad. 2023-08-31. Archived from the original on 2025-01-27. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
- ^ Azarcoya-Barrera, Jessy (2022-07-11). "New U of A tennis facility to open at South Campus". The Gateway. Archived from the original on 2024-10-11. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
The new facility will replace the existing nine outdoor tennis courts at Michener Park that were originally built in 1982 and are getting to the end of their life cycle.
- ^ John Tesh, Peter Kormann (July 1983). 1983 World University Games - Men's Team & All-Around Competition Gymnastics (Television production). Edmonton: CBS Sports. Retrieved 2026-01-07 – via YouTube.