VICTORIA – University of Victoria Female Rookie of the Year Marisha Thompson and alumna Elise Coates are among the 26-person women's roster set to represent Team Canada athletics at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Summer World University Games, while Jaxon Kuchar has been named an alternate on the men's side.

Team Canada is returning to the multi-sport event after missing it in 2023. The 2025 edition will be staged in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region of Germany, with athletics taking place July 21-27 in Bochum, Germany.

Heading into her second season with the Vikes cross country and track team, Thompson will compete in the 3000m steeplechase, while Coates, a recent program graduate who trains with Speed Farm Victoria, will race the 5000m.

"I have never had the opportunity to compete on the world stage or at an international competition before, so I am really excited for this opportunity. It also feels kind of surreal, as a year ago I was running my first outdoor track race in five years, and this year I made my first national team," said Thompson.

"I am really looking forward to competing against athletes from different countries and travelling to a new country. I think this experience with help me gain confidence and learn the skills to manage the nerves and pressure that I can bring into future competitions and the upcoming season."

Thompson is coming off an outstanding rookie season, overcoming past injuries to win a Canada West gold medal in the 3000m and helping the Vikes to a U SPORTS cross country team bronze medal. Her performance during the track season earned her Canada West First Team All-Star and U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian honours. Thompson also broke a 10-year-old school record in the mile and was named Under Armour U SPORTS Track Athlete of the Week.

Thompson spent the first part of her post-secondary career south of the border at NCAA Division 1 schools [full story] but battled injuries before transferring to UVic to train under head coach and two-time Olympian Hilary Stellingwerff. She will spend the summer preparing with the Victoria Endurance Club.

"Marisha is a very tenacious racer but is still learning how to mentally prepare for each race and manage nerves and the high-level meets. So, I think FISU will be great in exposing her to the world-class level and giving her confidence that she has the ability to race in the league," said Stellingwerff.

The twelve-day FISU World University Games competition will see more than 10,000 student-athletes from over 150 countries compete on the world stage.

Team Canada has won 83 medals all-time (10 gold, 40 silver, 33 bronze) in athletics at the FISU Summer World University Games, dating back to the first-ever Canadian medal, won by George Puce in discus at the 1965 Universiade in Budapest. At Naples 2019, Canada won three medals in athletics, including Canada's only gold medal in the games, which Sarah Mitton won in the shot put. 

See full list of athletes