posted on Aug. 14: Marauders travel to World University Games

When the 2001 World University games begin later this month, McMaster
University and the Marauder athletic program will be well represented.

A contingent of three McMaster athletes and one coach will be attending the games of the 21st Universaide taking place from Aug. 22 to Sept. 1 in Beijing, China.

Representing McMaster at the games from the women's tennis program will be the OUA Champion doubles team of Heather MacGillivary and Michelle Greenwood. Joining them will be Marauder head coach Doug Ho.

The Beijing games will mark the first time that Canada will send a tennis delegation to the Universaide. Games participants were selected from the teams (McMaster and Alberta) that competed at the National University Championship that took place at the University of Alberta in March.

The University Games Tennis competition will take place from Aug. 22 to Aug. 31. MacGillvary and Greenwood will compete in the doubles competition. Greenwood could potentially compete in the singles
competition as well. Coach Ho, the second coach on the team, will focus his efforts on the women's team and assist in administering the Canadian tennis team while at the games.

Joining the representatives from the women's tennis program at the Games will be McMaster wrestler Pam Wilson. Wilson, the 2001 CIAU and OUA 77 kg gold medallist, will compete in the Judo event. Wilson, who won gold in only her first year of competitive wrestling, has competed in judo for 14 years and is a member of the national D team. The judo competition is scheduled for Aug. 23 to 27, and Wilson will compete in the 70 kg weight class on Aug. 24.

The representatives from McMaster along with the remainder of the Canadian team will get a sneak preview of how Beijing will host the 2008 Summer Olympics when the Chinese capital stages the world's second-largest multi-sports competition. Opening ceremonies for the 2001 Games are scheduled for Aug. 22 at the 80,000-seat Workers Stadium in Beijing. The stadium has been identified as one of the main competition sites for the 2008 Olympics.

Closing ceremonies are set for Sept. 1. The event will attract more than 5,000 of the world's top student-athletes, representing more than 140 countries.

The CIAU, the national governing body of university sport in Canada, is responsible for the organization of Team Canada's entry, which is comprised of 260 participants, including some 175 of our nation's best student-athletes plus coaches, managers, officials, medical, administrative and media staff.

Historically, the World University Games have generated almost one-third of the medallists at subsequent Olympic games.