‘You have to lose one game to win the tournament’ – RSU beach volleyball duo win European Universities Games gold
Photo: RSU Sports Club and EUSA Games
Athletes from Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) successfully represented the university at the European Universities Games, held in Salerno, Italy, from 18 July to 1 August. RSU beach volleyball duo Atvars Ozoliņš and Gustavs Auziņš won gold, while the women’s 3x3 basketball team finished ninth.
The RSU delegation’s biggest success came from beach volleyball players Atvars Ozoliņš and Gustavs Auziņš. The pair delivered a strong and consistent performance throughout the tournament, overcoming both closely contested matches and the hot weather in Italy.
After a narrow defeat to the University of Klagenfurt in the quarter-finals, the RSU athletes were given another opportunity to continue their fight for a medal under the tournament format. They made the most of it, later defeating the University of Latvia 2:0 in the semi-finals to secure a place in the final.
In the gold medal match, Ozoliņš and Auziņš defeated the Czech Technical University in Prague 2:0 to become European Universities Games champions.
After the victory, Ozoliņš highlighted the team’s ability to remain focused even during difficult moments in the tournament:
‘It was a tough, hot and emotional tournament. I am very happy with the performance and the result Gustavs and I achieved together. After the narrow defeat against the University of Klagenfurt, I wanted to give up, but the tournament format gave us another chance to fight for a medal. As they say, you have to lose one game to win the tournament. We showed a consistent performance in the semi-finals and final. Thank you to RSU for the opportunity – it is a great pleasure to represent the university at such a high-level tournament,’ said Ozoliņš.
RSU was also represented at the European Universities Games by the women’s 3x3 basketball team, consisting of Paula Cirša, Luīze Šepte, Una Šteinharde and Samanta Gabranova.
In the group stage, the RSU basketball players won three of their four games. They defeated Gazi University from Turkey 22:8, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University from the Czech Republic 18:10 and the University of Nantes from France 17:16. Their only group-stage defeat came against the tournament’s top-seeded team, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University from Ukraine, 6:14.
In the quarter-finals, RSU lost 12:16 to Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University from Ukraine, finishing the tournament in ninth place.
This year, the RSU team was unable to defend the title it won two years ago. At the previous European Universities Games, held in Debrecen and Miskolc, Hungary, in 2024, the RSU women’s 3x3 basketball team won gold after defeating the University of Valencia 21:17 in the final.
RSU 3x3 basketball player Luīze Šepte said that, despite the result, participating in the tournament was a valuable and memorable experience:
‘I was really looking forward to these University Games because two years ago we had the opportunity to experience a great and unforgettable tournament. This time was also full of adventures. Although we did not manage to achieve such a high result this time, the greatest joy was being together with my team. I am really happy that, as a student athlete, I can take advantage of opportunities like this, gain new experiences and create memories that will stay with me for a long time. The most important thing is being able to experience all of this together with a great team,’ said Šepte.
Despite this year’s result, the RSU basketball players demonstrated their ability to compete with some of Europe’s strongest university teams. Three group-stage victories and qualification for the play-offs demonstrated the team’s determination, perseverance and high level of performance.
The European Universities Games are held every two years and bring together student athletes from universities across Europe to compete in a range of sports.
The next European Universities Games are scheduled to take place in Split, Croatia, in July 2028. The exact competition dates have not yet been announced.
RSU congratulates its students on their achievements and thanks the athletes and coaches for their hard work, perseverance and excellent representation of the university on the international stage.
