For Luxembourg’s Peter Murphy, short track and academics go hand in hand. Studying at the University of Groningen while training in Heerenveen, Murphy has mastered the art of balancing sport and study. His latest challenge? Competing at the World University Games Winter in Turin—a long-awaited experience that lived up to his expectations.

“I think it was pretty good, definitely a nice experience”, Murphy reflects. “In terms of competition, I was quite satisfied. It can always go better, but I think I can be happy with my results.” His performances included a B-final appearance in the 1000 meters and a near miss for the B-final in the 1500 meters, where he placed around 15th. “The level of the top skaters was still relatively high, so I think it was a good result.”

A different kind of competition

The World University Games bring together student-athletes from around the globe, and short track was no exception. “I saw some Asian short trackers from South Korea, Japan, and China”, Murphy recalls. “They sent one or two skaters who are usually on the World Cup team. Maybe not the absolute top, but still a very, very high level.”

Murphy was also joined by familiar faces from the Netherlands, including Niels Kingma and Idse van Benthum, also elite sports students from the UG. “I train with Niels and Idse and a couple of other guys from the team, so I know them quite well.” Training in Heerenveen, he is part of the ISU Center of Excellence, a hub for international skaters and Dutch skaters just below the national team level. “It’s a great place to train”, he says.

Balancing studies and short track

Moving to Heerenveen in the summer of 2022 was a strategic decision. “The training facilities are fantastic, and the university isn’t too far away. It’s one of the few places where I could do a master’s in sports science and train short track at the same time.”

Still, juggling studies and an intense competition schedule is no easy task. “It’s definitely not easy to combine”, Murphy admits. “There are periods when I need to prioritize short track, like at the beginning and middle of the season, but then there are times when I can focus more on my studies.”

During particularly packed competition blocks, such as consecutive World Cups, studying becomes almost impossible. “If I’m gone for four weeks in a row, it’s really hard to keep up. But afterward, I have more time to focus on my courses.”

Looking ahead

Murphy’s season isn’t over yet. “I have three more competitions coming up—one in Tilburg, one in Milan. and the World Championships in China.” And beyond that? “The Olympics in 2026 in Milan are the goal. This season is about setting myself up for that, and hopefully, I can make it next season.” If he does, his name will join the Olympic Wall at the ACLO Sports Center at the Zernike Campus. “That would be nice,” Murphy says with a smile.