Golden Tuesday for Nunavut at Arctic Winter Games

By Madalyn Howitt, Nunatsiaq News March 15, 2024
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Ulu-shaped medals wait for competitors to win them during the Arctic sports competition at the Arctic Winter Games in Wasilla, Alaska. Team Nunavut has so far garnered 15 medals, including seven gold, at the Games, and Team Nunavik has earned seven medals, including one gold. (Photo by Dustin Patar, special to Nunatsiaq News)

Nunavut wins 6 more gold medals, Nunavik adds 2 silvers and a bronze

Team Nunavut added more golden hardware to its collection Tuesday, winning six more gold medals at the Arctic Winter Games.

Table tennis players Bonita Tigullaraq, Trudy Qaunaq and Keegan Qamanirq each won gold medals in their respective singles events. Dene games athletes Lionel Willie and David Joe Audlakiak each won gold in their respective snow snake competitions.

Also, short track speedskater Akutaq Williamson Bathory won gold in the female 500-metre race for her age group. That’s in addition to Nunavut’s first gold medal, which Williamson Bathory won Monday in the female 1,000-metre short track speedskating event.

Silver medals for Nunavut came from Joelie Satuqsi in Arctic sports kneel jump male category and Levi Matt Natanine in Dene games snow snake male category.

Short track speedskater Arielle Siwa Allain won bronze in the 400-metre female race, Marcus Inuutiq Kigutaq won bronze in Dene games snow snake for his age group, and rounding out the medals was a bronze for Laura Pupik-Hughson in table tennis singles.

Nunavut now has 15 medals at the Arctic Winter Games — seven gold, two silver and six bronze.

Nunavik also added to its medal count Tuesday, garnering a silver medal in the Dene games open female snow snake competition from Judith Alaku Naluiyuk, a silver in the female table tennis singles for Jady Caalai Quissa, and a bronze medal for Amy May in the Arctic sports kneel jump.

That follows several medal wins on Monday, including Nunavik’s first gold medal of the games in the Dene games stick pull from Maria Aitchison. Nunavik now has seven medals in total, including one gold, four silver and two bronze.

Take a look below at some highlights from Tuesday’s action at the Arctic Winter Games in Mat-Su Valley, Alaska. The Games, which opened March 10, are due to wrap up on Saturday.

Located in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada, Nunatsiaq News is dedicated to covering affairs in Nunavut and the Nunavik territory of Quebec since 1973. It has been a partner to ArcticToday and its predecessors since 2016.