Italian athlete dies after collapse at World Games in China

Italian athlete Mattia Debertolis has died after collapsing during the World Games in China.

The 29-year-old athlete was found unconscious by organisers during an orienteering event last Friday in Chengdu.

The Italian died on Tuesday, August 10, 2025 – four days after his collapse.

“Despite receiving immediate expert medical care at one of China’s leading medical institutions, he passed away,” World Games organisers said in a statement on Tuesday.

International Orienteering Federation (IOF) President Tom Hollowell said he was “not able to adequately describe the unfathomable depth of sadness in this tragic loss of life”.

Debertolis’ cause of death is yet to be ascertained.

The World Games is a multi-sport event held every four years for events that are not listed in the Olympics.

Debertolis was taking part in the final of the men’s middle-distance event, which took place in temperatures above 30 degrees, when he collapsed.

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The Italian was one of 12 athletes listed as “Did Not Finish” in the official results.

He was part of the Italian national team and finished fifth in the 2022 World Cup final.

Debertolis, who was qualified as a civil engineer, resided in Sweden and was studying for a PhD at a university in Stockholm.

World Games organisers said they will “continue to support the family of Debertolis and the orienteering community in every possible way.”

Orienteering is an outdoor sport in which participants have to navigate between unmarked checkpoints using a map.

It combines physical activity with map-reading and problem-solving.

The Star