China celebrated a landmark achievement in adaptive sports as athletes Li Yucai and Guo Ao secured the nation's first-ever para ju-jitsu gold medal at the 2025 Chengdu World Games on Tuesday. The duo triumphed in the mixed duo para physical event, defeating Germany's Alessandro Schober and Christine Jahn 167-162 in a closely contested final.
"We trained together for just four months," Li told reporters after the victory. "This medal validates our perseverance, and we'll keep championing this spirit." The win highlighted China's growing presence in adaptive sports, with the home crowd erupting in cheers as the pair stood atop the podium.
Israel's Nimrod Ryeder emerged as another standout performer, becoming the event's only double gold medalist. After defending his 77kg ne-waza title, Ryeder claimed the men's open category by defeating Canada's Nathan Dos Santos 2-0. "Defending my 77kg title and winning the open proves I'm dominating this event," said Ryeder, who credited his pre-match ritual of listening to music for maintaining mental focus.
Hungary's Tamara Toros delivered one of the day's biggest upsets, dethroning South Korea's defending champion Sung Ki-ra in the women's 63kg semifinals before securing the open category gold against Israel's Meshi Rosenfeld via submission.
The emotional highlight came from Italy's Napoli brothers, with Giovanni carrying his sibling Pietro—an athlete with Down syndrome—to victory in the mixed duo para mental event. "He's not different, just a little special," Giovanni said during the medal ceremony. "Carrying him to gold is my proudest achievement."
