UIPM 2025 Tetrathlon U15 World Championships: Golden glory for Egypt as Türkiye find silver linings

Host nation Egypt dominated Finals day at the UIPM 2025 Tetrathlon U15 World Championships with a clean sweep of the Women’s and Men’s Individual and Team gold medals.

The next generation of talent also looks promising in Türkiye as a pair of silver medal performances which ran both of the eventual champions close.

Nour Ramadan (EGY), 14, became women’s world champion in the morning with a 19sec success over Elif Duman (TUR), who claimed silver in a tight battle with bronze medallist Lian Hasan (EGY). Egypt and Türkiye won Team gold and silver respectively, with Guatemala picking up bronze.

There were three Egyptians and three Turks in the top six, with Grecia Alejandre of Mexico and Marta Tchapodze of Georgia finishing 7th and 8th respectively. Only 47 points separated the top eight, showing the tightness of competition.

Ramadan (EGY) mastered the Obstacle course with a top time of 29.55sec, with Mariam Abdelnaser (EGY) also breaking the 30sec mark. Lara Quetzali (MEX) set the standard in Swimming with a time of 1min 04.20, with Abdelnaser (EGY) and Minami Yamakawa of Japan very close behind.

An incredible Laser Run time of 6:55.15 by Ghazi Mahmoud (EGY) left spectators in Alexandria (EGY) wondering what might have been had she not been eliminated in Obstacle. Ramadan (EGY) ran a solid 7:32.32 to clinch gold with time to spare.

U15 women’s world champion Ramadan said: “I feel so happy because I got three gold medals, and my family is so happy too, and my coaches. I got the world record in Obstacle, and that was my best performance too. Laser Run was not too hard, it was good.

“I hope to take more gold medals in the future, and of course I want to  go to the Olympic Games.”

In the afternoon, the host nation made it six from six in terms of gold as Adam Salem (EGY) held his nerve under an intense Laser Run surge from Mehmet Doruk Özkan (TUR) in a gripping finale to the Men’s Final. The fight for bronze was even closer as Mark Labib (EGY) pipped compatriot Mohanad Khodir (EGY) by just one second. Thirteen-year-old Klim Gnedtchik, representing Individual Neutral Athletes, caught the eye in fifth with competitors from Mexico, Georgia and Japan also cracking the top 10.

Salem (EGY) quite literally swung things his way with a blistering Obstacle time of 22.99sec, almost two seconds better than the field. Yousef Noureldien (EGY) was the only other athlete to go sub-25secs. In the pool, that order flipped with Noureldien (EGY) fastest in blistering 00:56.75. Efe Ukari Serhan (TUR) impressed with a swim of 1min 00.36.

Doruk Özkan (TUR) hasn’t set the world on fire in either of the opening disciplines but saved his best for last with a scorching Laser Run performance which was fastest by almost six seconds, his time of 06:16.66 putting pressure on Salem (EGY) in the chase for gold but the home favourite held strong. Team gold also went to Egypt with silver for Türkiye and bronze for Mexico.

U15 Men’s champion Salem (EGY) said: “I am very happy that I got in first place. I’m also happy to be in the middle of my crowd when I did this. The Obstacle and running were my strongest today but I feel I almost did the best with everything today.

“I was worried on the last shoot but I was very excited to become world champion too so I just focused on what my coach said to finish and run again to the line. I am dreaming about becoming an Olympic champion like Ahmed Elgendy.”

The UIPM 2025 Tetrathlon U15 World Championships concludes on Sunday August 17 with the Mixed Relay.