Gold medal-winning boarder Xu leaves rivals in her wake

The road from being an aerobic gymnast to a wakeboard champion is already pretty challenging, but even more so when you don't know how to swim.

But, China's Xu Lu did it.

The nation's star wakeboarder soared to victory in the women's freestyle event at the 2025 Chengdu World Games on Sunday, securing gold at the Sancha Lake International Aquatics Center.

"I didn't expect to win, but I gave it my all today," said the 21-year-old, who credited the ideal conditions — cool weather and calm waters — for her smooth performance.

Despite an earlier setback in the cable wakeboard event, where she missed out on a podium finish, Xu's freestyle triumph marked a career highlight.

Just days earlier, during the preliminaries on Friday, Xu had been starstruck after snapping a photo with Argentina's Eugenia De Armas, admitting she loved the 26-year-old's riding style. But, when it came to the finals, Xu outperformed her idol, with Italy's Alice Virag taking silver and De Armas settling for bronze.

As a child, Xu trained in aerobic gymnastics before being introduced to wakeboarding — a sudden transition that proved challenging for the 11-year-old at that time.

"I was afraid of the water at first, so my first lesson was simply learning to swim," she recalled.

"Gradually, I found the feeling of riding the board and flipping in the air incredibly freeing. Every time I successfully land a new trick, it gives me a huge sense of achievement," she said, adding that she truly fell in love with the niche water sport in 2019.

Her daily training includes not only practice on the water, but also strength exercises, such as weightlifting, coordination drills and endurance training on land.

"The sport also keeps me in good shape," she added, proudly flexing her arm muscles.

As a Sichuan native, competing in Chengdu held special significance for Xu.

After missing the Birmingham World Games in 2022 due to injury, she finally had her moment in the spotlight — and she made it count.

"This medal means a lot to me. Winning a gold medal in my hometown fills me with incredible pride," said Xu.

Yet, the golden moment was just one highlight of her whole Chengdu experience.

Days before, she had earned the honor of being a final torchbearer for the opening ceremony — where she and teammate Alu Xiaobo stole the show with a daring aquatic spectacle. Skimming across the water in a motorboat's churning wake, they raced toward the Games' first-ever cauldron and set the flames roaring to life.

"I was really excited and nervous at that moment," she recalled.

"The World Games truly serve as a wonderful stage to help more people discover wakeboarding," she said, adding that she looks forward to more events being held in China in the future.

Xu also highlighted the Sancha Lake International Aquatics Center as an ideal competition venue, praising its unique combination of mountain scenery and expansive open water competition area.