Inline Freestyle made its highly anticipated debut at The World Games 2025, marking a watershed moment for one of skating's most dynamic and technically demanding disciplines. The choice of Chengdu as the host city proved perfect, with China's explosive growth in freestyle skating creating an ideal backdrop for this historic introduction to the world's premier multi-sport stage.

China's emergence as a global powerhouse in freestyle skating, combined with the sport's rapid international growth, made Chengdu 2025 the ideal moment for this milestone debut.

The competition: Two Days and Two Disciplines

The competition unfolded across two intensive days, featuring both Speed Slalom and Classic Slalom disciplines that showcase different aspects of freestyle skating's unique blend of technical precision and creative expression.

Day 1 - Speed Slalom: The opening day emphasized technical precision at maximum velocity, with athletes navigating cone courses that demand millimeter-perfect control at breathtaking speeds. The discipline rewards pure technical mastery combined with explosive acceleration and deceleration.

Day 2 - Classic Slalom: The concluding day focused on artistic interpretation and creative mastery, where athletes demonstrate their ability to blend technical skill with personal style and creative expression. This discipline represents the sport's artistic soul, celebrating individuality within technical excellence.

Chinese Excellence on Home Soil

China's dominance throughout the competition was nothing short of spectacular, claiming the majority of available medals and demonstrating why the nation has become synonymous with freestyle excellence:

• Zhang Hao emerged as a dual champion, claiming gold in both Men's Speed Slalom and Men's Classic Slalom

• Zhu Siyi captured gold in Women's Classic Slalom after earning silver in Speed Slalom

• Chinese athletes secured 6 out of 8 available medals, showcasing remarkable depth across both disciplines

Results

SPEED SLALOM:

Men's Speed Slalom: 🥇 ZHANG Hao (China) 🥈 FU Yu (China) 🥉 LESANI Reza (Iran)

Women's Speed Slalom: 🥇 LIU Chiao-Hsi (Chinese Taipei) 🥈 ZHU Siyi (China) 🥉 WEN Jingjing (China)

CLASSIC SLALOM:

Men's Classic Slalom: 🥇 ZHANG Hao (China) 🥈 Valerio DEGLI AGOSTINI (Italy) 🥉 WANG Yuxuan (China)

Women's Classic Slalom: 🥇 ZHU Siyi (China) 🥈 LIU Jiaxin (China) 🥉 Laura ORIA ALBELDA (Spain)

International Representation and Growing Global Appeal

While China dominated the medal count, the competition featured strong international representation that highlighted the sport's growing global appeal. Italy's Valerio Degli Agostini claimed silver in Men's Classic Slalom, Spain's Laura Oria Albelda earned bronze in Women's Classic Slalom, and Iran's Lesani Reza secured bronze in Men's Speed Slalom.

Chinese Taipei's Liu Chiao-Hsi delivered one of the competition's most memorable performances, preventing a complete Chinese sweep by capturing gold in Women's Speed Slalom, demonstrating that excellence in freestyle skating extends throughout the Asian region.

A Sport Finding Its Global Voice

The successful debut of inline freestyle at The World Games represents a significant milestone in the sport's evolution from grassroots movement to international recognition. The technical sophistication displayed by athletes, combined with the evident passion and creativity that defines the discipline, demonstrated why inline freestyle deserves its place among the world's elite sports.

About The World Games: The World Games is the premier international multi-sport event for sports not featured in the Olympic Games, held every four years under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee.