Sports fans, are you ready?
A feast of talent and drama awaits at The World Games 2025 Chengdu, where, from 7-17 August, over 4,000 athletes will be going for glory across a wide range of sports and disciplines.
From Olympic champions and established legends to LA28 hopefuls, there will also be no shortage of global talent on display, with over 100 different countries set to be represented in the People’s Republic of China.
Read on to find out more about five athletes to look out for when the action gets underway.
1. Vanita Krouch, Flag Football – United States
When it comes to flag football royalty, it doesn’t get much bigger than Vanita Krouch.
The 44-year-old from Carrollton, Texas, comes to Chengdu as the most decorated female flag football athlete of all time with three IFAF World Championship titles and one IFAF Americas Championship win among her accolades.
Agile and powerful, with a flag IQ, Krouch has nearly two decades of flag football experience under her belt and is regularly referred to as the “Tom Brady” of her discipline, such is her dominance and expertise.
Krouch, named to the national team for her sixth time this year, will be the guiding force for the US as they look to upgrade their silver from Birmingham, Alabama, at the last edition of The World Games in 2022.
2. Ueno Yukiko, Softball – Japan
Like Krouch, softball superstar Ueno Yukiko is another legend of her sport, ready to cause a stir in PR China.
The 43-year-old has forged her reputation as one of the all-time greats, thanks to her two Olympic gold medals (2008, 2020), and inspired performances at the Games.
At Athens 2004, where Japan won bronze, she threw a perfect game against PR China. Four years later, at Beijing 2008, the Japanese star gained national hero status after throwing 413 pitches across three games in the last two days of the competition.
Hopes will be high that Ueno can turn out another star performance for her country when Japan gets underway in the women’s softball competition from 13-17 August in Chengdu.
In its three past appearances at The World Games, the US has emerged victorious, meaning victory in PR China would be historic for the Japanese – and would surely look good on Ueno’s already glittering resume.
3. Victor Crouin, Squash – France
Headlining the men’s squash singles competition in Chengdu will be 26-year-old Frenchman Victor Crouin.
The World No.11 will enter the fray as the No.1 seed with all eyes on defending his title from Birmingham 2022, where he defeated fellow compatriot Grégoire Marche to win the top prize.
Twice a European champion and a two-time world bronze medallist, the squash star with an Economics degree from the prestigious Harvard University is well-known for his methodical and meticulous approach.
And with his ambitions fixed on a gold medal at LA28, the opportunity to embrace the pressure and challenge of an international field on a top sporting stage makes him one to watch.
4. Bryony Page, Trampoline – Great Britain
After completing her Olympic medal collection at Paris 2024, Olympic champion Bryony Page has turned her attentions to her dream conquest: a synchronised trampoline title.
Cue: Chengdu.
The 34-year-old, along with partner Izzy Songhurst, will be a force to be reckoned with when the event gets underway.
Two-time European champions in the synchronised category (2022, 2024), the duo from Poole Gymnastics and Trampoline Club will be looking to add a World Games gold to their collection.
5. Veddriq Leonardo, Sport Climbing – Indonesia
Sport Climbing at The World Games will take place in Tianfu Park, and one athlete sure to blaze a trail will be Paris 2024 Olympic champion Veddriq Leonardo.
A total of six events (three women’s and three men’s) will be held in Chengdu, and they will all be in the discipline of speed — a shift from the broader climbing formats featured in past editions of The World Games. In addition to the typical two-lane format, which will be held individually and in a relay, ‘Speed 4’ will make its official debut after its trial run in Madrid.
The changes present a significant opportunity for the 28-year-old Indonesian star, who will be looking to defend his well-earned speed title from Birmingham 2022, where he saw off countryman Kiromal Katibin in the final for the win.