Chengdu World Games: Spain's Guzman claims 4th gold, Paraguay secure 1st gold (round-up)

Chengdu (China), Aug 14 (IANS) Jhoan Sebastian Guzman Bitar of Spain achieved a golden double at The World Games 2025 on Thursday, winning gold in both the inline speed skating track men's dual time trial 200m and sprint 500m +D.

Guzman has now taken four gold medals in Chengdu, following victories in the inline speed skating road men's 1 Lap on Tuesday and 100m road men's sprint on Wednesday.

"The track is very good here in Chengdu, and I think it is good for my athletic performance," said Guzman, adding that he would tour the city after completing his races.

Representing Paraguay as the nation's sole athlete at the Games, Julio Cesar Mirena Ortiz made history by clinching the country's first gold medal in the 5,000m track men's point race final with 23 points. "It's my second medal. It was really hard, but I'm very happy to take two medals for my country," said the 29-year-old, who had taken silver in Tuesday's 10,000m road men's point race.

China's Zhang Zhenhai secured a bronze in the men's sprint 500m +D, marking China's first medal in roller sports.

In the 5,000m track women's point race, Colombia's Gabriela Rueda and Gabriela Vargas Sarmiento of Ecuador shared the gold with 15 points each. Germany's Larissa Ursula Gaiser took the bronze, while China's veteran Guo Dan finished eighth, reports Xinhua.

An International World Games Association (IWGA) founding member, roller sports at the Chengdu World Games feature three disciplines - speed skating (road and track), inline freestyle, and inline hockey. With four more speed skating golds to be awarded on Friday, the freestyle competitions will begin on Saturday.

Host nation China claimed five of the six medals on offer Thursday, including both men's and women's titles, as the sport climbing competition of The World Games 2025 opened with Olympic-level battles in Chengdu.

Chu Shouhong took the men's speed single gold in 4.80 seconds, while 2024 Paris Olympic silver medalist Deng Lijuan edged teammate Qin Yumei by just one-hundredth of a second to win the women's crown in 6.40 seconds.

The competition field was stacked with elite talent. Absent were Paris men's silver medalist Wu Peng and women's champion Aleksandra Miroslaw of Poland, but of the six medalists from the Paris Olympics, four were in action in Chengdu.

Indonesia sent a full-strength squad led by Olympic champion Veddriq Leonardo, while the United States fielded men's world record holder and Olympic bronze medalist Samuel Watson alongside top-ranked Emma Hunt. Kazakhstan, Japan, and other nations also sent their strongest lineups, making the start list resemble an Olympic Games.

China advanced two men and three women to the semifinals. Deng narrowly beat Qin in the women's final, with Zhou Yafei taking bronze after a 6.31-second run to edge Indonesia's Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi by three-hundredths of a second. The sweep gave the hosts all three women's medals.

The men's gold-medal race pitted Watson, battling a left shoulder injury, against 18-year-old Chu, who is in his first year competing on the international circuit. Watson had fought past Leonardo, China's Long Jianguo, and other top names to reach the final, but his 4.96 seconds was not enough to beat Chu's personal-best 4.80. Long Jianguo of China took the men's bronze.

--IANS

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