AotD: 9 August: Andrea Maya Becerra (MEX) and Zhuoling Lu (CHN)

AotD: 9 August: Andrea Maya Becerra (MEX) and Zhuoling Lu (CHN)

published on 9 August

Congratulations to the Athletes of the Day on Saturday at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China. Wushu fighter Zhuoling Lu, who claimed China’s first gold medal at TWG 2025, and Andrea Maya Becerra, two-time medallist and Mexican archer, were both honoured on stage at The World Games Plaza..

Never Give Up – Andrea Maya Becerra

Andrea Maya Becerra of Mexico staged a remarkable comeback to win gold in the women’s compound final at the World Games 2025, edging out Estonia’s Lisell Jaatma 147–146 at Qinglong Lake Park on Saturday.

The 25-year-old, who also competes in the mixed team event, had taken silver the day before with teammate Sebastián García, missing gold by just one ring. In Saturday’s final, the story reversed—she won by a single ring despite a rocky start, dropping two rings in the first round after an unexpected 8 on her third arrow, which drew an audible gasp from the crowd.

Jaatma shot a perfect 10 on all three arrows of the first round, but Becerra fought back, levelling the score at 117–117 midway through the fourth round. Her third arrow of that round put her in the lead for the first time.

“I’ve been nervous the whole time. This was a tough match. Although I was behind early on, I didn’t let myself relax until the very end. I’m happy I did it,” she said, proudly holding her gold medal.

Kick-off for the Home Team – Zhuoling Lu

Tears of joy flowed as Lu Zhuoling captured the first gold medal for host nation China at The World Games 2025—just days after her 22nd birthday.

“This is the best birthday gift I could have dreamed of,” she said after winning gold in the women’s Wushu Taolu Taijiquan–Taijijian on Friday in her international debut.

Lu opened the day with a Taijiquan score of 9.796, building a strong lead heading into the evening’s Taijijian final. Despite placing third in the second event, her morning advantage secured the overall title with a combined score of 19.522.

“Before going on stage, I was a bit nervous,” she admitted. “But I performed as expected—just like in training. I’m grateful for the support and encouragement from the audience.”

The crowd at Hi-Tech Zone Sports Centre Gymnasium responded with thunderous applause, celebrating the first Chinese champion of The World Games 2025.

The International World Games Association (IWGA) is a non-profit-making international sports organisation recognised and supported by the International Olympic Committee. The IWGA comprises 40 International Member Sports Federations. It administers and promotes The World Games (TWG), a multi-sport event held every four years that features around 35 sports on its programme. The next edition of TWG will be in Chengdu (CHN) from 7-17 August 2025. 5,000 participants from more than 100 countries are expected to take part in this 12th edition. The latest Games were hosted by Birmingham, Alabama (USA).

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