Students from the School of Sports and Exercise Sciences took part in the Sierra Nevada 2017 Snowboard and Freestyle Ski World Championships, held in Granada from March 7-19. Universidad Europea students had the opportunity to participate in various training activities with the athletes at the resort’s high performance center, try out different types of skiing and help to coordinate and organize this world-class event.
In addition to experience organizing sports competitions, our CAFYD students gained comprehensive experience in line with their academic training on current trends in the most common modalities practiced at ski resorts: on the slopes (carving), off-piste (backcountry and freeride) and in snow parks (freestyle snow). These types of activities enabled the students to take part in the daily lives of the elite athletes competing the event, combine their snow sport practice with recording data for altitude studies, observe the logistics of this type of event at a ski resort, and exchange ideas with athletes, coaches, physical therapists and other technical and scientific staff.
Student Víctor Manuel Álvarez said that, “being lucky enough to be at a world snowboard and freestyle ski championship with international athletes opens your mind”. He stressed that “you can learn lots of theory but, at the end of the day, experiences like this will set you apart from the rest”. Another student, Andrea González, is “grateful for taking part in varied activities that influence in how the event works such as working with the anti-doping or access control team. Not everyone can say that they have taken part in organizing a world championship like this”.