Dog mushing is one of the events at the Arctic Winter Games, which have brought young athletes to Grande Prairie, Alta., from across the circumpolar North. (CBC)

Young athletes from Alaska have taken an early lead in the number of medals won in the first two days of competition at the Arctic Winter Games in Grande Prairie, Alta.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Team Alaska had 60 medals — known at the games as "ulus," since they are shaped like traditional Inuit knives — including 15 gold, 22 silver and 23 bronze.

The Northwest Territories is in second place with 29 ulus, including eight gold. The northern Alberta contingent is a close third with 22 ulus, followed by Team Yukon with 21.

Monday was the first full day of competition at the 21st Arctic Winter Games, being held for the first time in the northern Alberta city. The games run until Saturday.

Young athletes have come to Grande Prairie from Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, northern Quebec, Alaska, Greenland, Scandinavia and Russia, as well as from northern Alberta.

They are taking part in 21 indoor and outdoor sporting events, including Dene and Arctic indigenous games.

First medals

One of the first gold medals went to Veronica McDonald, 15, of Fort Smith, N.W.T., who won the Arctic kneel jump, junior female category, on Monday afternoon.

In the kneel jump, competitors have to jump forward from a kneeling position. Their knees cannot touch the floor during the jump, and they must land on their feet with their legs shoulder-width apart.

McDonald jumped 1.19 metres (47 inches) that day, only one inch away from a 20-year-old record.

"The record's 48 [inches]; her personal best is 50 inches," coach Gary Okheena told CBC News after Monday's event. "It wasn't reachable today, but we're happy with what she got."

James Tautu, 23, of Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut, won gold in the men's kneel jump open category on Monday, recording a distance of 1.52 metres.

Another gold medal went to 13-year-old Whitehorse musher Rachel Kinvig, who said snow on the dogsledding course was soft and tough to race on.

"The trail was really crystally, like sand, so you definitely need goggles. So I'm very happy with my dogs."

Kinvig has one of the nine gold ulus and 18 overall medals Team Yukon has won so far.

Another team in the Canadian contingent, Team Nunavik from northern Quebec, has won eight ulus, followed by Team Nunavut with six.