The Pole finished with a time of 1:21.78 on Sunday, a minute and a half behind the winner, Minsun Kim of South Korea (1:20.46), Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The race for the silver medal between Wojtasik and Chaeeun Park of South Korea proved “exciting and very close,” the 2023 World University Games’ official website said.
Wojtasik won by a whisker, finishing just seven hundredths of a second ahead of Chaeeun Park (1:21.85) to secure silver.
Poland’s speed skating coach Dariusz Stanuch praised her for “a magnificent performance.”
Iga Wojtasik PAP/Paweł Skraba
Meanwhile, Poland's Natalia Jabrzyk finished fifth, while Martyna Baran and Magdalena Smędzik claimed 17th and 19th place respectively.
In the men’s event, Poland’s Jakub Piotrowski came fifth, while Marek Kania finished seventh. The other two Polish participants, Piotr Nałęcki and Gaweł Oficjalski, came 19th and 21st respectively, the PAP news agency reported.
Wojtasik’s medal is Poland’s second of the 2023 Universiade, after Barbara Skrobiszewska on Saturday won silver in the women’s 12.5-kilometre biathlon race.
The 2023 FISU World University Games feature some 1,500 academic athletes from over 50 countries.
The event runs until January 22.
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Source: PAP, world-university-games.org, polsatsport.pl