The brewing thunder, lashing rain and overcast sky in Chengdu caused chaos for some sports on Day four of The World Games 2025.
The Men’s Softball medal matches were completely cancelled whilst athletes in other outdoor sports such as Tug of War and Disc Golf were drenched by the end of the day.
This meant indoor sports such as Freediving stole the headlines as elderly statesman Mateusz Malina, 39, and woman Julia Kozerska, 37, from team Poland came out on top in their events.
Host nation China also won several medals in the capital of the Sichuan Province.
Canoe
Indonesia and Ukraine shone on the water at The World Games Chengdu 2025, each securing multiple golds in a thrilling day of Dragon Boat racing.
Indonesia sprinted to victory in the Open 8-seater 200 m (45.79) and the 10-seater 500 m, while Ukraine dominated endurance events, winning the 8-seater 500 m and the 2000 m Pursuit.
Thailand also impressed, claiming gold in the 10-seater 200 m and adding podium finishes in the Open-8 seater 200m (silver) and 10-seater 500m (bronze).
Denmark's Mads Brandt Pedersen and Sweden's Melina Andersson clinched gold in both the men's and women's K1 long and short distance canoe marathon events, with Pedersen narrowly edging South Africa's Hamish Lovemore by 11 seconds in the Men's Short Distance final.
Finswimming
Diana Sliseva clinched gold in the Women's Apnoea 50 m (15.74 s), edging a Republic of Korea two-three of Uijin Seo and Miri Yoon in a tight finish.
Petra Senanszky triumphed in the Women's Bi-Fins 50 m (20.59 s), the Hungarian reminding the Finswimming community of her status among the sport's most decorated athletes.
Max Poschart led a German 1-2 in the Men’s Surface 100 m (33.81 s), joined on the podium by Justus Moerstedt and Tarek Hassan Elsayad of Egypt.
Hungary's Nándor Kiss shattered his own world record in the Men’s Surface 400 m (2:52.68) to take gold ahead of Ukraine’s Oleksii Zakharov.
Freediving
China and Poland dominated the depths on the second and final day Underwater Sport at The World Games Chengdu 2025 in Freediving.
Julia Kozerska took the Women’s Dynamic Without Fins gold lasting 222.5 m, a new world record which she previously set only in May at 214 m and Mateusz Malina won the men’s title 228.5 m,.
Unlike most athletes, the Polish pair are aging like fine wine, appearing to not slow down but rather improving their performances underwater with Chengdu both their first medals in The World Games.
China’s Huang Shiyu lit up the pool in the Women’s Dynamic with Fins (FFS1-FFS2), outpacing her rivals by over 25 metres and another home hero Long Dengxi thrilled the crowd again with gold in the men’s FFS1-FFS2, while Italy’s Alessandro Cianfoni edged a tense men’s FFS3-FFS4 final by just one metre against Alexander Kusakin, 108 to 107 metres.
Disc Golf
USA’s Marissa Gannon and Gannon Buhr stormed to mixed doubles Disc Golf gold at The World Games Chengdu 2025, beating Finland’s Eveliina Salonen and Nestori Tuhkanen 5 Up.
Latvia’s Elizabete Peksena and Rainers Balodis took bronze after a gripping 21-hole duel where Estonia's Kristin and Silver Lätt pushed the high ranked Professional Disc Golf Association players (Elizabete holding a rating of 922, Rainers 1014) before falling 1 Up.
It is Latvia’s second only ever medal at The World Games. Their last was in the martial art sport Sambo in the third edition at The Hague 1993.
Gymnastics
Israel dazzled in the Men’s Groups final, their 29.890 score securing gold over a strong Ukraine (28.860) and Great Britain (28.110), building on their consistent dominance in group Acrobatics.
In the Women’s Double Mini-Trampoline, Portugal's Diana Gago struck gold with 26.200 after Grace Harder recorded no score in the final; Spain’s Melania Rodríguez claimed bronze in a tight duel with Gabriella Flynn.
China’s Hu Yicheng and Zhang Xinxin delighted the home crowd in Women’s Synchronised Trampoline with 51.340, edging Japan by less than a point; Canada snatched bronze over Great Britain by just 0.010.
The Men’s Tumbling finals saw USA's Kaden Brown continue his world-class form, winning gold with 32.000 ahead of Tofig Aliyev from Azerbaijan, while Great Britain’s Fred Teague secured bronze in a spirited performance.
Ju-Jitsu
Ukraine’s Bohdan Mochulskyi (-62kg), Kazakhstan’s Abu-bakir Zhanibek (-69kg) and Denmark’s Lucas Andersen (-77kg) each captured gold in the men’s fighting divisions after closely fought finals.
Thailand’s Saengsriruang and Yuenna delighted fans by taking the Mixed Duo Team Open title over Austria with a razor-thin 217–210 score. In women’s Ne-Waza, Republic of Korea’s Im Eon Ju (-52kg) and Sweden’s Astrid Scholin (-57kg) secured golds on advantage points in tense, low-scoring bouts.
Another Korean in Sung Ki Ra (-63kg) delivered the day’s most dominant performance, winning 50–0 by submission over Israel’s Meshi Rosenfeld.
Muaythai
Liu Xiaohui of China claimed gold in the Women’s −48 kg final with a commanding 30–27 win over Thailand’s Miss Kullanat Aonok, marking a triumphant moment for the host nation on its home stage as did Han Xin.
She too earned gold in the Women’s −60 kg final albeit a far narrower 29–28 victory over Turkiye’s Kübra Kocakuş, underscoring China’s rising dominance in Muaythai.
In the Men’s −57 kg division, Dmytro Shelesko of Ukraine prevailed 30–27 against Ruach Hashem Bichayanu Gordon of Israel, adding to his impressive track record as a top-ranked IFMA athlete.
Laura Fernanda Burgos López of Mexico edged out Poland’s Martyna Kierczyńska 29–28 in a nail-biting Women’s −54 kg final—an outcome that aligns with her status as the reigning World Champion and July’s IWGA Athlete of the Month.
Orienteering
Switzerland’s Simona Aebersold blazed to gold in the Women’s Sprint Final at The World Games Chengdu 2025, finishing in exactly 15:00 and over 50 seconds clear of silver medallist Natalia Gemperle.
Maria Prieto del Campo took bronze, earning Spain its first ever Orienteering medal of The World Games.
In the Men’s Sprint, Belgium’s Yannick Michiels triumphed in 14:59, narrowly ahead of Czechia runner Tomas Krivda.
Hungary’s Zoltan Bujdoso claimed bronze in a close battle for the final podium spot.
Tug of War
Chinese Taipei’s women were in unstoppable form in the Outdoor 500 kg Tug of War Final at The World Games Chengdu 2025, sweeping aside Switzerland 3-0 to claim gold.
After initially starting the first pull going forwards, the team led by the twin power of Tien Chia-Hsin and Tien Chia-Jung never looked in danger despite the weather's best efforts to hinder them.
Chinese Taipei’s prior history meant the result was never in doubt and their magnificent team are still yet to lose a pull at The World Games.
Sweden matched that dominance in the bronze medal match, shutting out Germany 3-0.
Softball
Softball was the worst affected sport today amid torrential downpour across the city as both gold and bronze medal matches were cancelled.
It meant Japan and USA’s Men’s teams depart China sharing the gold medal, unable to rerun this year’s WBSC World Cup bronze medal match (USA won it 10-1).
Canada and Venezuela walk away with the bronze, signifying that there was no silver medallist in Men’s Softball at The World Games 2025.
Waterski & Wakeboard
13-time World champion Julia Rick of Germany once again proved untouchable in the Women’s Cable Wakeboard Final at The World Games Chengdu 2025, her 86.40 well clear of Italy’s Vanessa Tittarelli (78.40) and Dutch rider Sanne Meijer (73.80).
France’s Loic Deschaux lit up the Men’s Final with a huge 95.00, edging Germany’s Max Milde (92.80) whilst Asia-Oceania champion and medal favourite Raph Trinidad from the Philippines missed out on the podium completely coming in fourth behind bronze medallist Florian Weiherer.
Canadian Bailey Rush carved her way to gold in the Women’s Wake Surf Skim at The World Games Chengdu 2025, while Jett Lambert from USA's 85.00 lit up the men’s final.
Xu Lu turned up for the Chinese crowd that braved the conditions at Sancha Lake with victory in the Women’s Wakeboard Freestyle whilst Aussie wakeboarder Noah Bollard edged a tight men’s contest by just two points.