Germany wins Latin dance gold at World Games, China finishes fourth

Marius Balan (R)/Khrystyna Moshenska of Germany compete during the Latin final match of Dancesport event at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

CHENGDU, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Germany's Marius-Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska claimed the Latin dance gold medal at The World Games 2025 here on Friday with a total of 195.71 points, while home favorites Du Yujun and Yan Bangbang finished fourth, marking China's best finish in Latin dance at the World Games.

France's Charles-Guillaume Schmitt and Elena Salikhova took silver with 194.00 points, followed by Spain's Guillem Pascual Iniesta and Diandra Illes in third on 188.46. Du and Yan scored 186.96, missing the podium by 1.5 points after five dances - samba, cha cha cha, rumba, paso doble and jive.

It is the best-ever result for Chinese Latin dancers at the World Games, improving on Du and Yan's ninth-place finish at the previous edition in Birmingham, the United States, which had been the country's best performance in the event.

Balan and Moshenska, four-time world champions from 2021 to 2024, began their partnership in 2015 in Pforzheim, Germany, and quickly rose to the top of the sport. They captured German, European and World Latin titles within six weeks in 2021 and have remained among the most successful couples in international Latin dance.

Latin dance is one of the centerpiece disciplines of dancesport at the World Games, which gathers elite athletes from non-Olympic sports across the globe.

 

Du Yujun/Yan Bangbang (L) of China compete during the Latin final match of Dancesport event at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan)

Charles Schmitt/Elena Salikhova (front) of France compete during the Latin final match of Dancesport event at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

Du Yujun/Yan Bangbang (L) of China compete during the Latin final match of Dancesport event at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

Guillem Pascual Iniesta (R)/Diandra Illes of Spain compete during the Latin final match of Dancesport event at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

Charles Schmitt/Elena Salikhova (L) of France compete during the Latin final match of Dancesport event at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan)

Charles Schmitt/Elena Salikhova (L) of France compete during the Latin final match of Dancesport event at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

Du Yujun/Yan Bangbang (R) of China compete during the Latin final match of Dancesport event at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan)

Du Yujun/Yan Bangbang (R) of China compete during the Latin final match of Dancesport event at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan)

Guillem Pascual Iniesta (R)/Diandra Illes of Spain compete during the Latin final match of Dancesport event at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

Marius Balan/Khrystyna Moshenska (R) of Germany compete during the Latin final match of Dancesport event at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan)

Marius Balan (R)/Khrystyna Moshenska of Germany react during the Latin final match of Dancesport event at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Bo)



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