The United States once again won big on the international Ultimate stage, winning all three divisions of the WFDF 2023 World Under-24 Ultimate Championships, which concluded on July 8 in Nottingham, UK.
In the Mixed division, the American side defeated Singapore, who was making their first ever appearance in a world championship final, with a final score of 15-5. Japan took home the bronze medal, besting Canada 15-13.
In the Women’s division, the USA fought off tough competition from Japan to win gold with a final score of 14-9. Germany won bronze, edging Canada 15-14.
In the Open division, it was the clash of undefeated teams as the Belgian side came into the Finals hoping to best the USA in the last matchup of the week. But the Americans were able to take their third gold medal of the WU24 with a score of 15-9. Germany earned third place, 15-12 over Italy.
WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch commented “It is exciting to see such a high level of competition among this next generation of our sport, and to see up and coming countries like Singapore and Belgium make it to the finals for the first time. We want to thank our LOC UK Ultimate for staging such a well-organized event.”
All three American teams were undefeated throughout the seven days of competition. The United States team also took home the top Spirit of the Game award in the Mixed division, showcasing their ability to demonstrate the highest levels of sportsmanship even at the top tier of competition. In the Women’s division, New Zealand Kārearea won the Spirit award. This is the third WU24 event in a row where the New Zealand women’s team earned that prize after they took home the honor in Perth, Australia in 2018 and Heidelberg, Germany in 2019. In the Open division, Japan narrowly edged out Austria for the top Spirit prize.
WFDF, in partnership with Ultiworld, streamed 70 matches over the weeklong event, complete with expert commentary and analysis, and games are available to subscribers in the Ultiworld WU24 archive. The official website for the event is at https://www.wu24.sport/.
WU24 featured 45 teams from 22 countries and 1,150 athletes. The event has been held since 2010.