UC Chile students place Chile at the top of the 2025 World University Games
A delegation of 37 UC Chile students travelled to Germany to take part in the main sporting event at the university level, which took place from July 16 to 27. For the group of high-performance athletes, it was a milestone in their athletic careers, where effort, commitment and talent were rewarded with the honor of representing Chile and UC Chile at this world event.
photo_camera A delegation of 37 students from UC Chile participated in the Rhine-Rurh 2025 World University Games, in Germany, representing our country. (Photo credit: Rhine-Rurh 2025 Organization).
More than nine thousand athletes from more than 150 countries in 19 different disciplines took part in the 33rd version of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 World University Games. Between July 16 and July 27 of this year, 37 UC Chile students had the honor of living this experience, thanks to their athletic performance, perseverance and discipline.
The qualified athletes from our university wore the Chilean jersey in Germany as representatives of the National University Sports Federation (FENAUDE, as per its acronym in Spanish). In total, 119 athletes represented Chile in the international event.
Chile at Rhine-Ruhr 2025
In this high-level competition, UC Chile athletes competed as equals against sporting powers from all over the world in the disciplines of swimming, athletics, basketball, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics, volleyball and water polo.
From Chile, the university community actively followed the sport events, despite the time zone difference with Germany. From the other side of the world, the good news did not take long to arrive.
A national record
The first great thrill came from Elías Ardiles. At the beginning of the tournament, the swimmer made history in Chilean sports by setting the national record in the 50-meter backstroke.The commercial engineering student registered 26.11” (21°), beating Oliver Elliot’s record of 26,39” in 2013.
“It was a tremendous joy. It was something I perhaps didn’t expect as much, because I did not have a special plan for this event. (…) I never thought I could improve on the record, but, when I saw the time, I knew immediately that it was a national record. I was very happy and, of course, this helps me to prepare myself for this test in the future,” states the 20-year-old student.
This mark also opens up new horizons for Elías. “This has a positive impact on my career. It’s my first world university games. (…) Now that the competition is over, I’m giving myself some feedback and looking ahead to the next world games. And I say to myself, ‘well, I think I have a good chance, as long as I do things right, train well, to be in the next world event. Maybe fight in the final and, why not, a medal,’” reflects the national team member, who will represent Chile at the upcoming Junior Pan American Games Asunción 2025.
The epic of women’s volleyball
Following their triumph at the 2024 National University Championship, the UC Chile volleyball players began to dream big. With their sights set on Rhine-Ruhr, they launched into intense training that paid off with positive results.
The team faced a tough group, with Japan, Czechia and France, where, despite the negative results, they managed to win sets against the latter two powerhouses. “They were, after all, national teams of qualified players from each country. In other words, we were an exception to the rule, as we were all from the same university. In general, all the other teams were selected nationally. (…) We knew that our group was difficult,” states Valentina Núñez, team leader.
Later, in the classification round they faced the United States (1-3) in a close match, where they nearly forced a fourth set. Despite the setback, they held their heads high and set out to achieve the best possible results in the next matches. “We knew we could make it. After the match against the United States, we knew we could put up a good fight. We did, we won sets against teams, against nationally selected teams,” added Núñez.
The feat came towards the end of the competition. There, in the first instance, they defeated India 3-0, earning the chance to climb a bit higher in the rankings. In the final round, there was a new edition of the Andes classic: Chile vs. Argentina, this time on European soil. The Argentinian team started strong, claiming the first set (23-25). However, the Chilean team showed grit and skillful play to turn the score around, winning the next three sets (25-11, 25-14, 25-20) and securing 13th place in the competition.
On the technical side, the captain remarks that “the level was truly world-class, as if we were competing in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL). The courts, the training gyms, the equipment. It was remarkable. Italy won, and they Italian team had players who had been in the Olympics. That’s the level we’re talking about.”
Two marks that put Chile among the world’s best
Another sport in which UC Chile athletes excel is track and field. In April 2025, UC Chile athletes shone in the National Adult Track and Field Championships, and, after that event, seven students met the requirements to represent Chile in Germany.
Once in Europe, expectations were at an all-time high. In shot put, one of the first athletic competitions of the event, Mariela Pérez ranked among the best of the circuit. The Physical Education student scored a throw of 1.65 meters, placing 11th in the 2025 World University Games rankings.
Later, Nicolás Numair achieved the best result of this competition for Chile and UC Chile. The high jumper excelled in Bochum, jumping 2.17 meters, his best result of this season. With this performance, the architecture student ranked 8th in the world.
Regarding his experience in the 2025 World University Games, Nicolás highlights that the opportunity to “compete against athletes of that level is extraordinary, a totally different competition to what I usually face, and I took full advantage of it. I feel that I was able to enjoy competing against world-class jumpers, in such an important setting and with a tremendous audience.”
He adds, “this is my second year at UC Chile, and I have felt well supported by the University while balancing my studies and practicing sport. I really appreciate the peace of mind with which I have been able to travel and compete outside of Chile, and this has absolutely been reflected in both my athletic and academic results. It is a kind of support that I haven’t always had throughout my university years, so I feel how much of a difference this has made since I’ve been here.”
Learning beyond sports
Few have the opportunity to take part in the World University Games. The “Universiade”, as they were known in the past, bring together the world’s best athletes who, additionally, are enrolled in higher education as essential requirement. The competitive level is increasingly higher, given that the virtuous balance of academics and sports is encouraged by institutions worldwide, attracting elite athletes to their campuses.
Despite not achieving the results he’d hoped for, judo athlete Reinaldo Cáceres recounts the valuable lessons learned at Rhine-Ruhr 2025. “From a professional standpoint, [this experience] has been highly valuable. It allowed me to develop skills such as perseverance, the ability to establish relationships, teamwork, and, above all, interpersonal skills, which are fundamental aspects in my professional field. These soft skills are key (…) Besides, from the athletic standpoint, every minute of international competition counts. Participating in an event of this level is a significant contribution to my career as an athlete,” the judoka states.
Even though these student-athletes’ lives demand high performance, where they must keep up academically, in their disciplines, and balance their personal lives, international sporting events give them experiences and knowledge that transcend competition.
Contact with athletes from all over the world, high-level sports infrastructure, and interaction with different languages and cultures also provide invaluable experiences for the athletes.
Pride and commitment
The UC Chile educational project seeks to make these opportunities more meaningful and comprehensive for our athletes. Our university considers sport and physical activity to be a key part of the students’ wellbeing and of a well-rounded university experience. (Read more about Selections UC Chile).
Director of Student Affairs Carola Méndez is clear about UC Chile’s commitment to its athletes. “We know how much effort and how demanding it is for you. So, the University is always very proud of you and willing to give you as much as we can. We are always raising your concerns and needs to the Leadership Council so that the benefits and conditions have at our University are the best that we can offer,” she said during the students’ farewell ceremony.
Likewise, Jorge Silva, Sports Director, emphasizes that “for many, this is going to be the most important competition of their lives. Being in a different country, in this case Germany, and representing the University and our country (…) I think that is the most important experience one can have as an athlete and as a university student.”
The Rhine-Rurh 2025 World University Games showed that UC Chile has a lot to say on the international stage. Institutional commitment, the dedication and discipline of each student-athlete, and a community aware of the value of sport as a component of well-being enabled its athletes to compete alongside world-class powers, positioning Chile prominently within university sports.
