The opening day of competition quickly shifted preconceived notions.
August 12, 2025 by Sean Colfer in Recap
The World Games 2025 coverage is presented by Spin Ultimate; all opinions are those of the author(s). Find out how Spin can get you, and your team, looking your best this season.
The World Games ultimate tournament got underway yesterday evening in Chengdu, China. The first day was humid with some stiff breezes, but the teams generally dealt very well with difficult conditions. With one game per day for the teams, the small squads will be pouring everything into the shorter format.1
Strong Start for the USA
The United States got its World Games campaign off to a successful start with a 13-8 win over Japan. The high-quality game featured just two points with more than two possessions, both teams playing so clean early that there was just one unforced turn in the first half.2
The Japanese offense generated reliable chunk yardage in the first half with an excellent deep game powered primarily by players at the opposite ends of the experience spectrum – veterans Masashi Kurono and Taiyo Arakawa3 finding space downfield and 19-year-old phenom Riyu Shimizu connecting the dots.
Anna Thompson and Michael Ing had two flying layout blocks each, with Ing also knocking away a deep shot. All five blocks led directly to American breaks, with the American ability to turn pressure into breaks the key difference between the teams.
France Weathers Early Struggles
France would have preferred a slightly easier start to the tournament than what they got. A turn by Australia on the first point wasn’t punished, and two turns on poor resets after good hucks by Paul Benvegnen gave the Crocs a 3-0 lead.
However, the French turned it around with strong defense. A layout block by Camille Blanc, another on a hanging swing by Léo Stangeunnec and Sullivan Roblet knocking away a deep shot all got possession back. While their offense wasn’t always clinical, they were also helped by loose Australian play. The French took half 7-5, and turned the screw early in the second half.
Two consecutive clean breaks, including an excellent layout block by Staguennec, gave the French an 11-6 lead. Australia pulled a break back but it was too late, and France ran out 13-9 winners. Both teams had more unforced turns than they would like, with this game comfortably seeing the most of the day. Both teams face crucial tests tomorrow, with Australia playing Colombia in an elimination game and France testing themselves against a strong Canadian unit.
Canada Outplays Colombia
These two teams were both fancied in pre-tournament discussion with very different narratives. Colombia has been successful in recent World Games, whereas Canada struggled last time out in Birmingham, Alabama. The Canadians dominated proceedings here, though.
Colombia’s trademark offense had to work extremely hard to get through the Canadian pressure, with the defensive plan to push the Colombian handlers back and cause as much disconnection as possible causing cracks early on. As the game progressed, those cracks became chasms. Canada ripped off three clean breaks in a row at 9-6 up to take the game out of sight.
Canada’s offense, on the other hand, was extremely strong. The unit wasn’t broken all game, and turned only on two wayward hucks. Their D-line offense only failed to convert twice, both on the same point. Canada is back, but Colombia will be searching for answers in a crucial game against Australia tomorrow.
China Pushes Germany Hard
The home nation provided comfortably the best atmosphere of the day, with a raucous crowd supporting China’s every move. They were treated to an extremely impressive showing from the Chinese team, especially considering their inexperience at this level. Quan Mao and Bo Liu controlled the offense with the disc and Jiarong Guo’s deep cutting added an extra option to the offense. Liu also made a couple of flying bids to rescue a hold, showing some versatility.
A dropped pull at the end of the half gave Germany a two-break advantage at half, up 7-4, but China fought back with an early break in the second half to bring the game back to 8-7. Germany, though, pushed through and went on a three-break run to win the game 13-8.
Several Germans had very impressive stat lines, but the offense was built on the consistency of Charlotte Schall. She is a very different player to the star handler for Germany at the last World Games, Anna Gerner, but delivered a sensational performance when she had to step up and replace the injured Gerner at the European Championships in 2023. Her throwing, ability to get open in the reset and front of stack spaces, and composure showed that she’s up to the task of filling that spot again in Chengdu. If the offense was built on Schall, the defense was built on Paul Herkens, who chipped in with four blocks and helped marshal an impressive D-line. Germany looks ready for Business.4
Games are to 13 with half at 7, and a heat break is taken when a team reaches 4 and 10. ↩
A deep shot from Raphy Hayes looking for Claire Trop with the USA 5-4 up. ↩
38 and 35 years old respectively, though you wouldn’t know it based on Arakawa’s still-lightning acceleration. ↩
Herkens plays for Wall City with another Paul, Paul Rickerts. Rickerts is nicknamed Party Paul, and Herkens is Business Paul. ↩
