Switzerland's Riccardo Rancan claimed the first gold of The World Games 2025 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.

Riccardo Rancan claimed the first gold of The World Games 2025. [photo:xinhua]

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.