Current Lions student-athletes and alumni were both represented at the 2019 FISU Summer Universiade over the past week as Asia Hogan-Rochester suited up for Canada's women's rugby sevens team and thrower Brittany Crew toed the line in the women's shot put.
 
The FISU Games, which are currently being hosted in Naples, Italy began on Wednesday, July 3 and run until Sunday, July 14. Team Canada is competing in a total of 12 sports and sent a full delegation of over 300 student-athletes, coaches, staff and medical personnel to the event.
 
Hogan-Rochester, who competes on both the Lions rugby and track & field teams, and the rugby sevens team battled their way to a 1-2 record in the tournament to finish third in their pool. They began the tournament with a hard-fought 14-12 victory over host Italy in their opening match. Canada jumped out to 7-0 lead in the first minute of the match, and Hogan Rochester scored a try at 4:14 of the first-half to increase their lead to 12-0. Italy made a charge in the second-half and cut Canada's lead to 14-12 with over three minutes remaining in the game but the Canadians hung on to pick up the victory.
 
The Canadians were outmatched against the eventual gold medalist Japan in their second game of the tournament, losing by a score of 29-0. They had a quick turnaround from that game as they took on France just seven hours later, where they fell by a score of 17-7 to eliminate them from the medal round. Japan defeated France 33-7 in the final to win the gold, while Russia defeated South Africa 12-10 in the bronze medal match.
 
Crew, one of York's most decorated track & field athletes of all-time, led the women's shot put after the preliminary round with a throw of 17.54m, but was unable to replicate her success in the final round. Her top throw in the final round landed at 17.07m to place her a disappointing seventh.
 
"I'm physically exhausted," said Crew after the event, which featured preliminaries and finals on the same day. "It's like a double, so I've never done that before. We tried to practice it but you can't really simulate it. I didn't handle it well. I thought I had it, but I tried my hardest so I can't be upset. I think if it was tomorrow, I would have definitely smashed it, but I can't be upset. I gave it everything I had."
 
Crew's teammate Sarah Mitton won gold in the event with a throw of 18.31m in her third attempt of the final, besting her nearest competitor by nearly 50cm. The gold medal was Canada's first of the FISU Game and fourth medal overall. Crew, who is the Canadian record holder in women's shot put, was quick to praise her teammate Mitton's performance.
 
Crew was quick to praise her teammate Mitton on her major international title.
 
"She's my teammate. She's worked really hard and I think she deserves it," said Crew. "I'm super proud of her. I'm happy if I couldn't take home the gold, that she could get the job done and bring it home for Canada."
 
This edition of the FISU Games was Crew's third trip to the biennial event. She ends her university career as a two-time FISU Games as medalist as she won the bronze medal in Gwangju, South Korea in 2015 and claimed the gold medal in Taipei, Taiwan in 2017.