The 2023 Arctic Winter Games was a winter multi-sport event which took place in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Northern Alberta from 29 January to 4 February 2023. The Games were originally scheduled to take place in March 2022, but was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Arctic Winter Games is the world's largest multisport and cultural event for young people of the Arctic. The Games is an international biennial celebration of circumpolar sports and culture held for a week, each time with a different nation or region as the host. AWG celebrates sports, social interaction and culture. The Games contributes to creating an awareness on cultural diversity, and develops athletes to participate in the competitions with the focus on fair play. The games bind the Arctic countries together and include traditional games such as Arctic sports and Dené games.
Organization The 2023 Games took place in Wood Buffalo in Northern Alberta, Canada. Nicole Clow was the general manager of the games.
Marketing The mascot of the 2023 games is a lynx named Nitotem. The name translates to "my friend" in the Cree language. The mascot was designed by Sadie Antoine from Fort McMurray, after she won a design contest.
Participants Eight contingents are set to participate in the 2023 Arctic Winter Games. Alaska, United States Greenland Northern Alberta, Canada (host) Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavik, Quebec, Canada Nunavut, Canada Sámi people Yukon, Canada Athletes from the Russian region of Yamalo-Nenets did not participate in the 2023 Arctic Winter Games due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Venues The 2023 were held at various sports venues, schools and facilities in Fort McMurray, Anzac and Fort McKay.
Sports venues
The following venues hosted events during the 2023 Arctic Winter Games. Venue EventsAnzac Recreation Centre, AnzacBadminton, table tennisBirchwood Trails, Fort McMurrayCross country skiing, snowshoeingCentrefire Place, Fort McMurrayIce hockeyFort McKay Arena, Fort McKayShort track speed skatingFrank Lacroix Arena, Fort McMurrayFigure skatingNexen Energy Fieldhouse, Fort McMurrayArctic sportsShell Place, MacDonald Island Park, Fort McMurrayArcherySuncor Community Leisure Centre, Fort McMurrayCurling, Dene games, ice hockeySyncrude Sport & Wellness Centre, Fort McMurrayBasketball, futsal, volleyballVista Ridge All Seasons Park, Fort McMurrayAlpine skiing, snowboardingTBDBiathlon, gymnastics, snowshoe biathlon, wrestling
The Games Sports Twenty sports were held at the 2023 Arctic Winter Games. Archery made its debut in the modern games, having appeared only once before in the 1974 Arctic Winter Games. Alpine skiing returned to the games after not appearing in 2018. Dog mushing was removed from the program and did not appear. Four skiing sports were held, with alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing and snowboarding. Two snowshoe events were held, with snowshoe biathlon and snowshoeing. Two racquet sports were held, with badminton and table tennis. Two skating events were held, with figure skating and short track speed skating. Team sports that were held were basketball, futsal, ice hockey, volleyball and curling. Traditional Inuit sports were also held, with Arctic sports, Dene games, and wrestling, the latter also including events for traditional wrestling. Also scheduled were gymnastics and archery.
Medal tally
Culture The Arctic Winter Games celebrates culture and creates in the participants an awareness of cultural similarities and dissimilarities. Cultural exchange and social interaction are important parts of the Games. Each participating contingent contributes with performances in dance, song, music, plays or art. These cultural events reflect the traditional as well as the modern cultures of the Arctic.
Hodgson Trophy At each Arctic Winter Games, the AWG International Committee presents the Hodgson Trophy to the contingent whose athletes best exemplify the ideals of fair play and team spirit. Team members also receive a distinctive pin in recognition of their accomplishment.
Medallists Archery Boys' barebow Austin Dougherty Girls' barebow Mattea Visser Team barebow Em GilmourJosh Wedzin Juliette GreethamMitchell Aitken Rudolph Austin DoughertyMattea Visser Boys' compound Ethan Utz Girls' compound Jorgie Visser Team compound Emmett KapaniukDelia Therriault Ethan UtzJorgie Visser Riley Grace CyreHayden Wallace
Arctic sports 2005 Boys' all-around Boys' 1-foot high kick Boys' 2-foot high kick Boys' Alaskan high kick Boys' kneel jump Boys' sledge jump Jordan Wills Boys' triple jump Boys' arm pull Girls' all-around shared silver Girls' 1-foot high kick Girls' 2-foot high kick Girls' Alaskan high kick Girls' kneel jump Sam Ladwig Mary Jane Qinuayuak Girls' sledge jump Dani Kachnic Girls' triple jump Girls' arm pull Open Boys' all-around shared gold Boys' 1-foot high kick Aloupa Watt Boys' 2-foot high kick Boys' Alaskan high kick Boys' kneel jump Boys' airplane Boys' 1-hand reach Boys' head pull Boys' knuckle hop Boys' sledge jump Boys' triple jump Girls' all-around Emma Noskey Girls' 1-foot high kick Emma Noskey Girls' 2-foot high kick Girls' Alaskan high kick Girls' kneel jump Girls' sledge jump Emma Noskey Girls' triple jump Emma Noskey Girls' arm pull
Badminton Boys' singles 2003 Emmanuel Duguay Girls' singles Boys' doubles Davidee KudluarokTerrence Lawson Emmanuel DuguayKai Zhang Glade RobertsChristopher Tom Tom Girls' doubles Thrune Amassen RafaelsenEmilie Sørensen Marthajoy QaqqasiqZan Tao Nimedha De AlwisMattaya Lauck Mixed doubles Davidee KudluarokZan Tao Emmanuel DuguayMattaya Lauck Martin BrobergThrune Amassen Rafaelsen Boys' singles 2006 Ved Bhowmik Girls' singles Methma De Silva Boys' doubles Malinnguaq EgedeMalik Thorsen Petersen Ved BhowmikDhruv Lunagaria Rodney NakoolakKenny Takatak Girls' doubles Jonna Bidstrup AndreassenAnna Arleth Methma De SilvaChelsea Fischer Tina Martha Mary KudluarlikIris Sowdluapik Mixed doubles Anna ArlethMalik Thorsen Petersen Jonna Bidstrup AndreassenMalinnguaq Egede Ved BhowmikMethma De Silva
Basketball Boys Jonathan AineXien AmadorAngelo CaringalNathan HirschArlow James-WalkerLuke John PalapalBenjamin Edwad Doran PerreaultMiguel PorteaGage SweeneyKarl Tesoro Skyler BroughtonDavid ChijiokeSeth DayondonJoshua EligadoKaden GravengardCrai RushfeldtKurt Tristan SalunaSai ShankarTyson WohlgemuthColby Wood Nathan DaymanNicholas DaymanGabriel FillionBrendan McAllisterJozuard Ashton MercadoJack NevittDwayne RaddiFrancesco StefanosJustin StewartRex Steele Turner Girls Dani CadieuxAvery GnamHannah HaasTyla HammermasterAlexis LeeJosie LundKadison McLeodOlivia RozinskyCiera SchoenrothLaurel van der Giessen Arian BatallonesZoe BenitahWillow BerkmanRue CharchunJaidan Rodica CurteanuMaya HeebinkGrace Isabella MachtansRobyn MuellerSarah SvobodaMya Alexandria Warren Saia BrownJaci DusomeJillian FrenchLily LloydKaylie Locke-SetterMia Locke-SetterAbigail Elise Kodzin NevittLily Helenrose NewberryKatherine SmallwoodTaya Michele Straker
Curling Boys 2004 Varyk DoepkerCarter FurgesonRobert NelsonCortland Sonnenberg Coleman MartinDylan SkaggsTyler SkaggsJimmy Evans Carlos MagsucangNathan IskraRoman SniderCharles Snider Girls Tamara BainBrooke SmithAlex Testart-CampbellReese Wainman Alexandra CollinsBrylee GirardLola RasiHayden Young Ainsley PersingerMelanie RichardsCharlie ClarkMelissa Richards Mixed doubles
Dene games Boys All-around 2004 Finger pull Snow snake Kelly Saviadjuk Stick pull Sammy Kaitak Hand games Marcus HerronTroy Clayton JohnsKashtyn Daniel Ross LeasCashis Peter Adam MuckpalooLevi NatanineRadley OyukulukLogan Willie Emery AhkimnachieAshley ChisaakayColby CourtoreilleChase Marcel Pole push Atsiannguaq AndersenArkaluak Reimer GeislerAqqalu LukassenKuka Zeeb Brandon GreigSammy KaitakJunior LapageKelly Saviadjuk Aiden AndreHans AreyTy LaffertyTalynn Sundberg All-around Open Finger pull Snow snake Stick pull Papituqaq Cain Peters Hand games Kennen Jack Andre-BlakeRobin CatholiqueGordie LiskeBryan Taneton Papituqaq Cain PetersMatthew CreigJustin JonesGary Metuq Kadin HareJustin JohnsonTyler O'BrienDarryl Rutledge Pole push Julius AmossenEdvard KruseJens Jørgen LangeMinik Platou Papituqaq Cain PetersMatthew CreigJustin JonesGary Metuq Noah QaunaqCollin TilleyLionel WillieLloyd Willie Girls All-around 2004 Tina Mifsud Leilani Tukkiapik Louisa Berthe Finger pull Tina Mifsud Louisa Berthe Snow snake Leilani Tukkiapik Tina Mifsud Louisa Berthe Stick pull Tina Mifsud Leilani Tukkiapik Hand games Monica Elaine AreyBridgette Joanna Rose McKayAriana Sundberg-Koyina Gloria ArnauyumayuqJoy AttagutalukCheryl TilleyElaine Lissie Tunraq Adam Auger-BeaulieuMia DanaisAlicia GladueTayah Watkins Pole push Louisa BertheTina MifsudEva Papak AnnatokLeilani Tukkiapik Adam Auger-BeaulieuMia DanaisAlicia GladueTayah Watkins Denise Victoria-Lee GriffithKiawna Jordan LeasAngela ProchazkaMadison Silas-Gill All-around 2006 Zariana Yakinneah Finger pull Samantha Rupert Aiva Lingard Ambriel Rupert Snow snake Taya Gambler Stick pull Zariana Yakinneah Hand games Desiree C. L. CharloSifera KennyGabrielle Dolly McLeodJerrica Sanderson Alohna Marie JohnsonWookie NicholsTaylor TiedemanWillow Tiedeman Katelyn Mary HirschHarmony KendiMyra KendiIsabelle Prochazka Pole push Mary CampbellTaya GamblerKota GrandjambeZariana Yakinneah Jessica BertheAiva LingardAmbriel RupertSamantha Rupert Desiree C. L. CharloSifera KennyGabrielle Dolly McLeodJerrica Sanderson
Gymnastics Girls' team all-around Jillian BeckleyLyza Claire KrozelEmma MarshAlia Lynn McKinnon Raeanne BietteMaria DogbeEmily Garces-GuillenSari Krauskopf Aubree HombertGeneviève Marie LefebvreAlayna May MortimerChloe Kaia Tatsumi Girls' individual all-around Girls' balance beam shared gold Girls' floor Girls' uneven bars Girls' vault
Ice hockey Boys 2004 Max AmmaqKoby ConnellyKadin EetukMicah EmiktowtChase HarronJustin IssakiarkRussell MatooSteven NowdlakJimmy OlliePrime PaniyukTerence PilakapsiRay Pudlat Jr.Tucker St. JohnKobe TanuyakSandy TattuineeGarren VoiseyGregory Wiseman Brock BarthSam BigalkeGriffin Lucas HallSam HemmenMason HollerSterling KnipperColin James McCarthyJohn McElmurryBrody MelocikJoseph RadiffDaniel Jacob RagsdaleMatfey ReutovJacob Reuben SimekTanner Bobby ThomasJoe Joe TapleyRiley Young Telly Banksland-StefureBradley BartlettEthan Alan BowermanBraden BrentonDylan Bernard Gilles CummingsTyler Gordon-BahrRiley HodderDesmond HutchingsCarson ImpettRiver McQueenSpencer MillerGavin PellisseyOwen PettipasHarrison SimmonsNoah ValpyMichael Van MetreConor Wilkins Boys 2007 Jacob CarrollNolan DusomeNate HarrisRyan HarrisMario HernandezGriffin JonesLouis Frederick KingCarter KuchtaDeacon Stanley LantzCallum MacLeanGrayson MuellerHayden MurrayJack PettipasBlake RoseRylan ScarfeCorwin SimmonsRyder Wicks Ben AntonioJosh BaroreSpencer BehnsenCash BrebantEthan CollinsHunter ColombeGrayson ConradAlex DubruleKai DucharmeDamian HillJonas LilloCy NelsonTrinden NoskeyNoah ParkerRylan RossJake SimmonsLinden Zaichkowsky Nate DiallaMichael DonovanConnor EjetsiakIsaiah HarronDarren Ikakhik Jr.Luke JoyRyley KomakjuakRegan Kopak Jr.Blake KusugakNolan NakoolakJoseph NetserLiam O'DellRichard PameolikKylan SaviakjukLiam TattuineeNathan ThompsonKeenen Uluqsi Girls 2003 McKenna BowersTaylor BreenJordan BrownBrianna DavisCarolyn HeadAydin HebertJamie HenschSkylar HillAnna JeffsAvery JohnsonMacy RobinsonKaitlyn SenkoeHailey ShuraElly StoneThéa ThompsonKarsyn UtzVictoria Willsey Jersey AshtonRylie Nicole BeckEmma CareyJenna DemarckeKamilah GostickBrooklyn HelyarJulia HeronKelsey Paige ImpettChandelle LeonardEllie LoutittAbby McDonaldAdrena Isabel McDonaldKyra McDonaldHélène McKay-IvankoZoey RemoScarlet TourangeauEmma Wicks Taylor BierlmeierMaya BulmerCassie CebuliakEvan CyreAlia DrummondSophie DrummondElla JohnstonRachel KormendySophia Emerald LeasZoe Jade LeasJordan MacdonaldKasey McKennaHeidi NashKennedy Debra Lynn O'BrienCallie QuaileEmery TwardochlebAlix Walchuk