Latest news with #RiccardoRancan
Al Etihad
12-08-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
Italian athlete dies at World Games in China
12 Aug 2025 13:28 CHENGDU, China (AFP) Italian orienteering athlete Mattia Debertolis died on Tuesday after being found unresponsive during competition at the World Games in China's Chengdu, organisers said. The 29-year-old was discovered unconscious during an orienteering event on August 8 and died four days later, said a joint statement from World Games organisers and the International Orienteering Federation (IOF). The World Games is a multisport event held every four years for disciplines not included in the Olympics."Despite receiving immediate expert medical care at one of China's leading medical institutions, he passed away," the statement did not provide details on the cause of event took place in intense heat and humidity, with temperatures above 30 sees athletes navigate an unmarked course with a map and compass, punching in at designated spots along the route in the quickest from Primiero in eastern Italy, was taking part in the final of the men's middle-distance, the first medal event of the six-kilometre course featured 180 metres of ascent and 20 control points that athletes must from the World Games' social media accounts showed athletes running through crop fields and villages on a largely rural winner, Switzerland's Riccardo Rancan, completed the course in 45 minutes and 22 seconds."I needed to acclimatise quickly to hot and humid conditions. I think I managed quite well," Chinese state media quoted Rancan as was listed as "Did Not Finish" in official results, along with 11 other athletes. Black Armbands He was ranked 137th in the men's Orienteering World Rankings and had been competing since 2014, according to the IOF participated in several World Championships and World Cups as part of the Italian his training, Debertolis was studying for a PhD at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, where he of the Italian Orienteering Federation (FISO), Alfio Giomi, invited the national team to wear black armbands while competing in the World Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships, which begin on Tuesday in family had agreed that "athletes will be able to participate in the competitions in Mattia's name and memory", Giomi said in an online Games organisers and the IOF were "struck by this tragedy and extend their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the athlete and the whole orienteering community", the joint statement read."Our thoughts are with those touched by this event."Organisers will "continue to support the family of Mattia Debertolis and the orienteering community in every possible way", it added. This is the 12th edition of the World Games, and it runs until August 17, with approximately 4,000 athletes competing in 253 events.
Canada News.Net
08-08-2025
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
Switzerland's Riccardo Rancan wins first gold of Chengdu World Games in orienteering
CHENGDU, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Switzerland's Riccardo Rancan claimed the first gold of The World Games 2025 here on Friday, after finishing the men's middle distance orienteering in 45 minutes and 22 seconds. With tough rival Norway absent from the Games, the Swiss team has been favored to win the event. Francesco Mariani of Italy took the silver medal with a time of 47:43. Canada's Vegard Jarvis Westergard got the bronze just 0.05 seconds behind Mariani. Host China's Tang Jianda and Liu Xiaoming ranked 18th and 23rd, respectively. Since being accepted as an official World Games event in 2001, orienteering has so far awarded 26 golds, 10 of which went to Switzerland. Norway and Sweden have each collected three. The three-day orienteering competition features five events: the men's and women's middle distance, the men's and women's sprint and the mixed sprint relay. 80 orienteers from 24 countries and regions are competing in Chengdu. Orienteering, a century-old sport originated in Sweden, requires athletes to navigate unfamiliar terrain using only a map and a compass. Competitors race against the clock to find sequential control points, with the fastest competitor emerging as the winner.
