Team GB is nearing the final stages of its preparations as it gets ready to send a delegation of 68 athletes and staff to the 2011 Winter Universiade in Erzurum, Turkey.

The Universiade is an international multi-sport event, organised for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The World University Games (Summer and Winter) takes place every two years and this year's competition will see 57 countries competing in eleven disciplines. The Winter Games is the only multi-sport Winter event except the Olympics and will take place over a two week period from 26th January to 6th February in the historic mountain town of Erzurum.

Erzurum’s altitude of 1,900m and average winter temperatures of -15˚C give it a high snow yield and its facilities make it the perfect venue for the Winter Games, with the 2011 Games enjoying a record number of countries entering athletes as a result. The 57 participating countries will send approximately 2,500 athletes to Erzurum, comfortably beating the previous record of 50 countries, who took part in the 2005 Games in Innsbruck, Austria.

Team GBR will be entering a total of 47 athletes in seven disciplines: alpine, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, short track and snowboarding.

The team is being led by Chef de Mission Trudi Else, who was the Deputy Chef de Mission for Team GBR at the previous Winter Games in Harbin, China in 2009. Abigail Ashby-Burns will provide support as the Deputy Chef de Mission and Neil Rogers is the team’s Head of International Programmes.

Rogers was delighted with the progress the team had been making and was looking forward to the Games as the team prepared to travel to Turkey. He said:

“The World University winter Games offers a great platform for student athletes to experience a multi-sport village environment and top-level competition.  I am confident that the 47 athletes travelling to Erzurum, Turkey will find the experience invaluable in developing their sporting careers.     The student athletes have already achieved something special in being chosen to represent Great Britain, but BUCS is confident they will achieve their goals, and hopefully some medals, in Turkey”  

For more information visit www.bucs.org.uk/erzurum