Chengdu, China — Laura Pellicoro wins a World University Games title in the women's 800 meter event on Aug. 3rd, running a time of 2:04.20. This marks the first time that a Pilot has captured a title at the World University Games, with another title potentially in sight for Pellicoro.  

In a sprint finish down the homestretch, Pellicoro came from behind to overtake three competitors to earn herself the win. Over the final strides, Pellicoro would pass Knight Acura (2:04.34) from Uganda, Charne Swart (2:04.73) from South Africa and Margarita Koczanowa (2:04.86) of Poland to earn her first gold medal of the championships. Each of the athletes Pellicoro passed in the final stretch has been ranked within the top-100 in the world for the 800 meter discipline, with the highest ranking coming from Margarita Koczanowa who has been ranked as high as 52nd. 

"This is an incredible accomplishment for Laura," said coach Ian Solof. "She has worked very hard to become internationally competitive, and this performance shows the level she is at, and where she is headed. I am grateful to be able to work with her, and our whole staff, program, and department are extremely proud of her."

Looking ahead, Pellicoro will be competing in the women's 1500 meter which will begin on Aug. 4th, 2023 at 12:35 AM PST. A link to the live results can be found here.

For more coverage and info, visit PortlandPilots.com. 
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