Day before the last competitions at the European Universities Games Zagreb-Rijeka 2016 finish, was the last day of competitions in Zagreb, with finals in Badminton, Beach Volleyball, Futsal, Sport Climbing and Volleyball.

The summer sport event, traditionally very popular among students - Beach Volleyball - hosted 20 male and 20 female university teams from different parts of Europe.



Team from the University of Linz (AUT) celebrated gold after winning the finals against Vilnius University (LTU), and the bronze stayed at home with the University of Zagreb (CRO) in men’s category. First two places in women’s category were dominated by Norwegian university teams; and Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (NOR) had to admit that their colleagues from the University of Bergen (NOR) were better, the latter team winning gold. Third place went to the University of Warsaw (POL).

EUSA Secretary General Mr Matjaz Pecovnik, European Fair Play Executive Committee Member Mrs Biserka Vrbek, EUSA Technical Delegate for Beach Volleyball Mrs Daniela Erni Ruoss, Mr Milan Pavelic, City of Zagreb Deputy Director for Sport and Mr Luka Vrdoljak, President of Beach Volleyball Federation presented the medals and awards.

In front of full stands of the Hall of Sports and in an atmosphere worthy of the final matches, the University of Munster from Germany and Moscow State University of mechanical Engineering from Russia in women’s and University of Zagreb from Croatia and Siberian Federal University from Russia in men’s competition finally faced off.



After intense competitions between 22 male and 14 female teams, the local male team from the University of Zagreb (CRO) won gold, leaving Siberian Federal University (RUS) on second and the University of Minho (POR). In female category, Moscow State University of Mechanical Engineering (RUS) took home gold, University of Munster (GER) silver and Jagiellonian University in Krakow (POL) bronze.



At the medal ceremony which followed, medals and awards were presented by Mr Wolf Fruehauf, EUSA Honorary President, Mrs Janica Kostelic, Deputy Minister of Sport, Mr Tom Aftanski, EUSA Technical Delegate.



Futsal was not the only big team sport that concluded in Zagreb yesterday. In competition of 16 male teams, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis (FRA) took home gold, University of Almeria (ESP) silver and the University of Nis (SRB) bronze.



Female tournament also hosted 16 teams, and in the women’s category, the University “Vasile Alecsandri” of Bacau (ROU) proved to be the best, winning against the University of Lausanne (SUI) in the finals. Third place wen to the University of Belgrade (SRB).



Medals and awards were presented by Mr Bruno Barracosa, EUSA Executive Committee Member, Mrs Janica Kostelic, Deputy Minister of Sport, Mr Joerg Foerster and Mr Lars Rydland, EUSA Technical Delegate and his assistant, Zvonko Kramar from the Croatian Volleyball Federation and Mr Zdravko Hranic, EUG2016 Technical Delegate.



Other sports which concluded were badminton where university players from 24 teams came together. After the teams’ finals, also the doubles and singles were played. In mixed doubles, Julien Maio and Rosy Pancasari from the University of Strasbourg (FRA) showed their supremacy, in men's doubles Milosz Bochat and Pawel Pietryja, Opole University (POL) and women's Doubles Anastasiya Dmytryshyn and Yelyzaveta Zharka, National Technical University Kharkiv Polytechnical Institute (UKR). Singles events were dominated by Muhammed Ali Kurt, Erzincan University (TUR) and Anastasia Chervyakova, Nizhny Novgorod State University (RUS).



At the awarding ceremony, Mrs Alison Odell, EUSA Honorary member and Mrs Isabel Jobard, EUSA Technical delegate for Badminton, presented the medals and awards.



Sport Climbing, a relatively new sport in the EUSA sports programme, saw interesting array of student sport climbers from all over Europe, competing in boulder, speed and lead. After the competitions finished, medals and awards were given to the most successful competitors. Ural Federal University (RUS) won the gold medal, the National Institute for Applied Sciences Lyon (FRA) the silver, and the University of Ljubljana (SLO) the bronze medal.



The awarding ceremony for all the categories was held yesterday after the finals in lead. Medals, cup and awards were presented by Mr Tarmo Jaakson, EUSA Executive Committee Member, Mrs Danira Bilic, EUG2016 Sports Director and Mr Mateo Pastori, EUSA Technical Delegate for Sport Climbing.

Fun and competitions are far from over; in Rijeka there is a full day of sports tomorrow, and the European Universities Games will finish off with a cosy Closing ceremony in the city center of Rijeka Monday evening.

For more news, photos and results, please see www.eug2016.com.