We are now in the endgame of The World Games 2025 as only 48 hours of action from the world’s best athletes is left.
But as the sun sets on Day nine, Chengdu delivered another day of drama at The World Games.
The city’s passionate crowds were treated to photo-finishes in Duathlon, Speed Skating and Sport Climbing whilst defending TWG 2022 and Olympic Champion Leonardo Viddriq of Indonesia had a day to forget in the latter as he fell off the wall in the TWG debut event Speed Four Lane.
Meanwhile a new TWG hero was created in the Powerlifting as new Heavyweight champion Anatolii Novopysmennyi (UKR) dominated in his debut appearance of the competition.
Boules
In an intense finale, Frédéric Marsens (FRA) clinched gold in the men’s Lyonnaise Progressive, defeating Gašper Povh (SLO) 45–39—adding to his distinguished career that includes multiple European and international team titles for France.
In the bronze medal contest, Ivan Soligon (ITA) narrowly beat Lucas Hecker (ARG) 42–38 to secure third place.
Italy and Soligo claimed gold in the mixed Lyonnaise Quick Shooting Doubles alongside Natalie Gamba edging out China’s Zhang Xiaohui and Wang Chenyi 48–44.
France took bronze in the same event as Marsens, joined by Lisa Gouilloud, defeated Turkiye’s Mehmet Can Yakin and İnci Özturk 49–46.
Duathlon
Mexico’s Anahi Álvarez Corral captured the gold in today’s women’s individual duathlon at The World Games Chengdu, finishing in 1:025.31.
Spain’s María Varo Zubiri, fresh off her silver at the 2025 World Championships, claimed silver just two seconds behind at 1:25.33.
Belgium’s Jeanne Dupont completed the tight podium battle to take bronze in 1:25.58.
Notably, Álvarez Corral, a World Triathlon-ranked athlete with 10 career wins and 15 podiums, also posted the fastest opening 5 km run split—a decisive edge on the challenging Xinglong Lake Hubin Arena course.
Gymnastics
Japan’s Riri Kitazume/Mizuki Saito struck gold on 20.150 in the Aerobic Gymnastics Mixed Pairs today; the reigning world champions and 2025 Suzuki World Cup winners reasserting their class with a stunning routine.
Azerbaijan’s Vladimir Dolmatov/Madina Mustafayeva took silver on 19.750, adding to their 2024 Worlds silver and March 2025 World Cup gold and Ukraine’s Anastasiia Kurashvili/Stanislav Halaida earned Mixed Pair bronze (18.900) after placing 4th at the 2024 Worlds.
Host People’s Republic of China (Fan/Feng/Liang/Teng/Xu) claimed gold with 20.265 in the Group Final, backing up their 2024 World title in the event.
Italy (19.615) upgraded from 2024 Worlds bronze to TWG silver today, whilst Romania sealed bronze on 19.163.
Powerlifting
Ukraine’s Anatolii Novopysmennyi, a multiple-time Men’s Heavyweight world and European champion, lifted a total of 937.5 kg (362.5 kg squat, 230 kg bench, 345 kg deadlift) to claim gold in his debut at The World Games.
Karlina Tongotea (NZL) dominated with 620 kg for the Women’s Heavyweight title, while Carola Garra (ITA) (567.5 kg) and Marte Kjenner (NOR) (557.5 kg) completed the podium in a highly competitive field.
Georgia’s Temuri Samkharadze, a prodigious young talent in the sport (24 years old) and record-breaking deadlifter, powered to Super Heavyweight gold with a massive 990 kg total.
In one of the day’s most impressive feats, Canada’s Brittany Dayle Schlater took Women’s Super Heavyweight gold with 725 kg (leveraging a stellar body-weight ratio at 130.45 kg), edging out Sonita Kyen Muluh (BEL) (727.5 kg—silver) and Natalie Soli’ai Laalaai (AUS) (692.5 kg—bronze).
Speed Skating
The Women’s Sprint 1,000 m (Track) saw Colombia’s María Fernanda Timms Ariza surge to gold in 1:27.010, edging compatriot Gabriela Rueda by a razor-thin 0.081 s, with Fran Vanhoutte (BEL) just behind in bronze at 1:27.291.
Spain’s Jhoan Sebastian Guzman Bitar clocked 1:21.846 to take gold in the men’s afterwards, ahead of Colombia’s Jhon Edwar Tascon Holguin (1:22.288) and India’s Anandkumar Velkumar (1:22.482).
In a fierce duel in the Women’s 10,000 m Elimination, Gabriela Rueda (COL) nipped out Gabriela Vargas Sarmiento (ECU) for gold by just 0.036 s (16:47.402 vs. 16:47.438), with Marine Lefeuvre (FRA) taking bronze in 16:48.316.
Colombia’s Juan Jacobo Mantilla Pinilla claimed victory in a sub-16-minute thriller of the Men’s 10,000 m Elimination with 15:59.837, ahead of Switzerland’s Livio Wenger (16:00.464) and Martin Ferrie (FRA) (16:03.243).
Sport Climbing
Indonesia’s Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi surged to gold in 6.35 s, a clean and commanding run that outpaced China’s Qin Yu Mei (6.42 s) and compatriot Rajiah Sallsabillah (6.951 s), who edged bronze by a mere 0.005 s.
China’s Long Jianguo claimed gold in 4.74 s, setting a new national record. He narrowly beat Indonesia’s seasoned speed specialist Kiromal Katibin (4.81 s) and Kazakhstan’s Rishat Khaibullin (4.83 s).
The Speed-4 format, making its multi-sport debut here, sees four climbers racing simultaneously—a fresh twist that athletes and spectators embraced for its fast-paced unpredictability.
Desak, a 2023 World Champion and BBC 100 Women honouree, continues her rise in speed climbing. Long also lived up to the moment on home soil. He entered the event as a former World Cup winner and thankfully for the vociferous Chinese support at Tianfu Park, peaked when it mattered most.