"And with that, we hereby end the Arctic Winter Games 2026."
That was what was said from the stage on Saturday afternoon, when there was a closing ceremony in Whitehorse on Main Street.
Down the street, athletes, coaches, mission staff, spectators and many more stood in a multitude of differently colored jackets. All week long, it has been easy to spot the athletes from Team Kalaallit Nunaat in their red jackets with Erfalasorput on their shoulders.
But as is tradition, the games ended with the athletes exchanging jackets with young people from other teams.
They did so while a DJ played music from a stage. It was also from this stage that the Games were officially closed with speeches and the Canadian national anthem.
- While the world is watching the Arctic more than ever, you have sent a powerful message about who we are, said Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada. She is the first Inuk to hold the position.
Hudson Trophy and Farewell
As usual, the prestigious Hudson Trophy was also awarded, which is determined by athletes, coaches, volunteers and mission staff voting for the team they believe has shown the most fair play during the Games.
This year, for the first time ever, there was a tie. The trophy therefore went to both Alberta North and Nunavut.
In 2023, Greenland won the trophy.
After this, the AWG flag was returned to the Arctic Winter Games International Committee, and that is the end of this time.
Greenland has done well with a total of 80 medals, most of them gold. This corresponds to more than one medal per 59 athletes on Team Kalaallit Nunaat.
On Sunday, the team will fly back to Greenland. Instead of two years between the games, it has been decided that in future there will be three years. Therefore, the next Arctic Winter Games will take place in 2029. It has not yet been decided where.
