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Team Yukon’s athletic prowess on full display on day 5 of Arctic Winter Games

While Team Alaska leads the medal standings, Team Yukon is in a solid second with 100-plus medals

When the dust settled on day five of the Arctic Winter Games on March 14, Team Yukon was sitting in second place, with a total medal count of 108 — 43 gold ulus, 25 silver ulus and 40 bronze ulus, according to the Games’ website. (The Arctic Winter Games medals are designed to resemble an ulu — a knife traditionally used in the northern regions of North America and the Russian Far East.)

According to the Games’ official website, Alaska still holds the first-place position in the overall medal count with 154 ulus — 47 gold, 59 silver and 48 bronze.

Rounding out the top three regions in the medal standings is Alberta North, which has a total of 70 ulus. In fourth is the Northwest Territories with 63 ulus, Nunavut with 39, Kalaallit Nunaat (also known as Greenland) with 31, Nunavik with 23 and Sápmi with 20.

It is worth noting that Team Yukon has a different medal tally than the Games’ official medal standings. According to a spokesperson for Team Yukon, they have recorded that Yukon athletes have won 100 medals so far, and they are looking into the discrepancy between their number and the Games’ medal count.

On the fifth day of the competition, Team Yukon not only bolstered its medal count but also delivered some memorable moments and impressive displays of athletic prowess across a diverse range of sporting events. Among the fields of play where Yukoners shined was the futsal court.

The Yukon’s under-16 boys’ futsal team delivered a commanding performance on the morning of March 14, overpowering their opponents from Team Alaska with a convincing 6-2 victory. Cameron Bringsli and Noah Lapierre notched two goals each, with Shamus Inglis and Everett Pooley also finding the back of the net.

The under-16 boys’ win over Alaska secured them a spot in the semifinals later the same day. There, they downed Team Alberta North in a close game, which ended with a score of 5-4, earning themselves a ticket to the gold-ulu match against Team Sápmi on the afternoon of March 15.

The under-16 girls’ futsal team emerged from their last preliminary round match with Sápmi with a 3-3 tie. Madeleine Smith, Misha Ng-Schmidt, and Ella Lawrence scored for Team Yukon. In their semifinal match with Alaska, the team lost 6-2 — good for an appearance in the bronze-ulu match.

Meanwhile, the under-18 girls’ team secured a spot in Saturday’s gold-ulu showdown after a 2-1 win against Team Nunavut in the semifinals.

The under-18 boys’ team will also play for gold on Saturday after downing Alaska 3-1 in the semifinals. Leo Whittaker scored once, with Evan Howells finding the back of the net twice.

In volleyball the Yukon’s girls’ team was unable to overcome Alberta North in the semifinal round, falling by a score of 3-0. They will play in the bronze-ulu match on March 15. The boys’ team, meanwhile, will be playing for gold after beating Alaska 3-0.

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Team Yukon’s under-18 boys’ ice hockey team fell to Nunavut 6-2 in the bronze-ulu game, while the under-15 boys’ team earned a spot in the gold-ulu match against Alberta North on the evening of March 15. (AWG 2024/Le Losier)

Team Yukon’s under-18 boys’ ice hockey team missed a podium finish after losing to Nunavut 6-2 in the bronze-ulu game. The under-15 boys’ team needed an extra period to down Alaska 2-1 in the semifinals, earning a spot in the gold-ulu match against Alberta North on the evening of March 15.

The girls’ hockey team, meanwhile, lost 2-1 to Alberta North in the semifinal round. They will play for bronze against N.W.T. on the morning of March 15.

On the basketball court, the boys’ team clobbered Nunavut in the semifinals, winning by nearly 30 points. They will chase their hoop dreams in the gold-ulu game against N.W.T. on March 15.

The girls’ basketball team lost to Alaska in their semifinal appearance. The game was a nailbiter that went down to the wire, with a final score of 60-57 in favour of the host region. They will play for bronze against Nunavut.

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The Yukon’s boys’ basketball team bested Nunavut in the semifinals, securing a spot in the gold-ulu game against N.W.T. (AWG 2024/Living Free Alaska)

On day five of the Games, Dene Games athletes participated in the fingerpull. Justin Johnson placed fifth in the open male category, while Danica Rutledge placed seventh in the open female category.

This year’s Arctic Winter Games are in Mat-Su Valley, Alaska. The opening ceremony was held on March 10, and the closing ceremony will be on the afternoon of March 16. Those interested in watching some of the remaining events can do so on the 2024 Games’ official website, which offers a livestream function.

Contact Matthew Bossons at matthew.bossons@yukon-news.com



Matthew Bossons

About the Author: Matthew Bossons

I grew up in a suburb of Vancouver and studied journalism there before moving to China in 2014 to work as a journalist and editor.
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