CHENGDU - Chinese water skier Xu Lu claimed victory in the women's wakeboard freestyle at the 2025 World Games held at the Sancha Lake International Aquatics Center here on Sunday, while Alice Virag of Italy and Argentina's Eugenia De Armas finished second and third, respectively.

"I didn't expect to win gold, but I gave my best today. The cool weather and calm water made everything flow smoothly," said the 21-year-old, who also competed in cable wakeboard but missed the podium.

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"The first thing I want to do now is to have hotpot," quipped the spicy-food lover, noting that she had avoided anything spicy for more than two months as part of her diet.

As a child, Xu trained in aerobic gymnastics before being introduced to wakeboarding - a sudden transition that proved challenging for the 11-year-old at that time.

"I was afraid of the water at first, so my first lesson was simply learning to swim," she recalled. "Gradually, I fell in love with the water and with what I do. It has brought me so much joy and kept me in great shape," Xu said, proudly flexing her arm muscles.

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The sport has also brought friendship to the outgoing teen. Despite language barriers, Xu formed a close bond with her Italian opponent through simple conversations.

A native of Sichuan province, Xu soon displayed her talent on the water, earning a spot at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, the United States, though she had to withdraw due to injury.

"Chengdu means a lot to me," said Xu, who finally took the stage at the World Games and grew emotional after receiving her gold medal.

Standing on the podium by the lake was not her only unforgettable moment this August - she was also chosen as one of the two final torchbearers to ignite the historic first World Games main cauldron at last Thursday's opening ceremony.

Together with her teammate Alu Xiaobo, Xu rode the waves generated by a motorboat and lit the spout-shaped cauldron with a stunt-like move, drawing thunderous cheers from the crowd.

"I was really excited and nervous at that moment - it felt just like competing in the final," she said, adding "The World Games is truly a wonderful stage to let more people know about water skiing."

Synchronized gold

The trampoline gymnastics competitions at the 2025 World Games concluded Sunday night at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Multifunctional Gymnasium, with China claiming gold in the women's synchronized event.

Hu Yicheng and Zhang Xinxin delivered an almost flawless routine in the final, earning 51.340 points to secure the title. Japan and Canada settled for silver and bronze, respectively.

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In the afternoon semifinal, Britain - featuring 2024 Olympic champion Bryony Page and Isabelle Songhurst - was edged out by Japan and missed a place on the podium.

Reflecting on the semifinal, Zhang admitted, "I was quite sleepy then and didn't perform very well. It wasn't until the final that I really 'woke up'.

"We've been exhausted from high-intensity training, but our efforts paid off," said Hu, who is set to compete in the World Championships after a short break.

The 2024 Olympian Hu is known for her steadiness, while Zhang brings energy and cheer. "I can be a bit fussy during performances. To improve our synchronization, Hu has tried her best to coordinate with me," Zhang said with a big smile.

Earlier in the men's group acrobatic gymnastics, China's Zhang Minghe, Ma Xuefeng, Shi Junjie and the delegation flagbearer Shi Jingwei, who had topped both the dynamic and balance exercises in qualification, saw their podium hopes dashed by a costly error. Israel finished first, followed by Ukraine and Britain.

After the event, star athlete Zhang Minghe broke down in tears as teammate Shi tried to comfort him.

"We made an error because of the pressure - we were all too desperate for the gold," Shi said, adding, "The World Games is a fantastic stage to introduce acrobatic gymnastics to more people, and we hope it can enter the Olympic program one day."