The Germans and Canoe Polo are a match made in heaven and in 2025, the giants of the sport had two reasons to be proud of. Therefore, it is no surprise that a double gold at The World Games Chengdu 2025 made it to our moments of the year.
As men’s and women’s teams and support staff jumped into the pool to celebrate at the Jianyang Cultural and Sports Center after their respective finals, the fans at the venue gave them a standing ovation - such was their swagger during the Games.
The men’s final saw them pitted against a strong Italian side, who went down 3-1 as the Germans defended their title from four years ago in Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
The victory was also Germany’s fourth gold medal in a row at the Games, with China being a lucky playground, as they had also won the 2024 International Canoe Federation Canoe Polo World Championships in Deqing.
“This is the fourth time in a row now, and it's crazy. Of course, you also need some kind of luck, but I think the key was that we were there from the first minute and started really good and produced a strong defence just to maintain our lead,” German skipper Jonas Vieren said.
“I'm so happy to play with this team and just thankful to be here.”
For the women, it was a redemption story, having finished fifth at the 2024 ICF Canoe Polo World Championships.
But they were unstoppable in Chengdu, crushing New Zealand, who won the title in Deqing, 4-0, for a special win.
For the women’s team, it was their fourth gold medal overall at the multi-sport event.
The German team embraced an emotional Jill Lara Rutzen, who was among the stars of the final, after the win.
Later, her teammate and proud friend Nele Schmalenbach shared that Rutzen’s father, who was her biggest supporter, passed away after the World Championships last year.
“I can't believe it because it is the biggest tournament - The World Games. It is a dream come true. We shouldn't be too confident because it's not too good to fly too high, because the fall can be hard. We have the European Championships coming up, but it's very good to win here,” she said.
“It is a special win for Jill, who is my best friend. Her dad passed away after the last World Championships. It was a tough year for us as he was her biggest supporter. But she fought and came back and won. I am so proud of her.”
Copyright by IWGA/The World Games 2025.
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