Top 20 finish for Australia and India at world university sports festival in Germany – The Australia Today

Germany has wrapped up one of the world’s largest sporting events of 2025 with great fanfare as the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games drew to a close on 27 July. Hosted across six German cities—Bochum, Duisburg, Essen, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Hagen, and Berlin—the 12-day multi-sport spectacle welcomed around 8,500 student-athletes and officials from more than 100 countries, competing in 18 disciplines.
The Games, held from 16–27 July, captivated the nation with sold-out venues and a festival-like atmosphere that blended top-level international sport with cultural and academic events. From beach volleyball to rowing, basketball to water polo, competition venues across the region witnessed surging crowds and sporting excellence.
The official medal tally crowned Japan the overall winner, securing 34 golds among their 79 total medals. China followed closely with 30 golds, while the USA, despite earning the most medals (84), placed third with 28 golds. Australia placed 11th with a total of 12 medals (5 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze), while India finished 20th, earning 2 golds, 5 silvers and 5 bronzes.
Australia’s UniRoos athletics team delivered their most successful World University Games campaign to date, topping the athletics medal tally plus 23 top-eight finishes.
Leading the charge was racewalker Elizabeth McMillen, who shattered the FISU Games record to win gold in the Women’s 20km Race Walk and spearheaded a team silver alongside Olympian Olivia Sandery. The Men’s 20km squad also secured team silver with consistent top-10 finishes.
On the track, Australia’s Women’s 4x100m Relay Team blazed to gold in a photo finish, with Georgia Harris collecting her second gold after an earlier 100m victory.
Meanwhile, India edged out the Australian Men’s relay team for bronze by mere milliseconds. Triple jumper Desleigh Owusu soared to a personal best of 13.86m to claim bronze, while Aiden Princena-White placed sixth in the Pole Vault and Klara Dess finished fifth in the Women’s 1500m.
Over 1.2 million people engaged with the event across various venues, including 23 sports facilities and dozens of cultural and entertainment hubs. The Opening Ceremony alone drew 23,000 fans to Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena in Duisburg. Interest built daily, culminating in packed stands and a sold-out closing concert by German electro-rap group Deichkind.
Berlin’s inclusion as the sixth host city proved pivotal, with the swimming events at Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark producing 17 of the 28 new FISU records set during the Games.
Beyond competition, the Games showcased a diverse cultural and academic offering, including the three-day FISU World Conference on mental health in sport and sustainability. The conference received 429 research abstract submissions from 29 nations, with 150 daily participants on average. Children and youth also joined the action, with over 24,000 awarded a ‘Sports Diploma’ for taking part in community activities.
Concerts by top German artists like Ski Aggu, Querbeat, Alle Farben and Michael Schulte transformed festival stages into energetic hubs, attracting thousands more to celebrate the Games.
Germany’s role as host drew praise across the board. Dr Christiane Schenderlein, State Minister for Volunteering and Sport, described the Games as “a legacy beyond sport,” while FISU President Leonz Eder hailed them as “sustainable and inclusive.” Organising CEO Niklas Börger said, “These Games have sparked a special flame that goes far beyond sport… We wanted to create an experience, and we succeeded.”
Volunteers, sports fans, and civic pride were credited with helping turn the Rhine-Ruhr region—and Berlin—into a welcoming global stage. Officials from Sportland NRW and the German University Sports Association called the event a “milestone” and a “model” for future major international events, including potential Olympic and Paralympic bids.
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