Congratulations to the first Athletes of the Day at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China. Lifesaver Nina Holt of Germany set two new World Records, while Swiss orienteer Riccardo Rancan, winner of the first gold medal of this 12thedition, both took the stage at The World Games Plaza. IWGA Board Member John Liljelund presented each with a certificate and a watch, courtesy of Tissot.
Twice is Nice – Nina Holt
She did it once – and, just one hour later, she did it again. On the opening day of competition, Nina Holt collected two gold medals in two award ceremonies — each accompanied by a World Record in Lifesaving.
First came her blistering 100m Rescue Medley in 1:03.69, a new global best. Then, barely an hour later, she anchored Germany’s Women’s 4x50m Pool Lifesaver team to another gold and another world record.
The 22-year-old had arrived in Chengdu fresh from the Swimming World Championships in Singapore, where she had competed only days earlier. On Thursday, she carried the German flag at the Opening Ceremony; on Friday, she showed exactly why she had earned that honour. An Olympian in Paris 2024, Holt reflected on the difference between her two sports:
“I like the sport of Lifesaving a lot. It’s not as big as swimming. In Lifesaving you basically know everyone. Even if you compete against each other, it’s like a friendship.”
Already a seven-time World Champion — with five golds from Birmingham 2022 — Holt now has a strong shot at reaching double digits in TWG medals. She’s set for three more races on Saturday.
Being First – Riccardo Rancan
Before the midday sun reached its peak, Riccardo Rancan had already made history. The Swiss orienteer claimed the first gold medal awarded at The World Games in Chengdu, winning the men’s middle distance in 45:22. The race began at 10:50 a.m., but by early afternoon, Switzerland had its first champion.
Still catching his breath, Rancan called the moment “really cool and a big honour to win The World Games, especially for our country Switzerland.” As for his race strategy, he revealed:
“It was really tough. We came here just three days ago, so we needed to adjust quickly to the heat and humidity. The key was to start not too fast and fight until the end.”
Rancan, 29, is no stranger to the podium. After two golds at the 2024 World Championships in Edinburgh — in knockout sprint and sprint — he is now aiming for more success in Chengdu, with the Men’s Sprint on Sunday and the Mixed Sprint Relay on Monday. Short distances, it seems, are well within his comfort zone.