Lu Zhuoling wins the first gold medal for Chinese delegation in the Chengdu World Games on Friday. Photo: VCG

Lu Zhuoling won the Taijiquan-Taijijian final of the Wushu event at the Chengdu World Games on Friday, securing China's first gold at the Games.

With a flowing and seamless Taijijian routine, the 21-year-old Lu got a total score of 19.522. 

The Chengdu Games marks the first time that Wushu has been included as an official competition event. China has two athletes competing in the event.

Earlier, Riccardo Rancan of Switzerland won the first gold of the Games in the men's middle-distance orienteering.

The Games commenced on Thursday with a spectacular opening ceremony in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province. It's the first time the World Games has been held in a Chinese mainland city, following the 2009 edition hosted in Taipei, China's Taiwan region.

The Chengdu World Games features 34 sports, 60 disciplines and 256 events. A total of 321 Chinese athletes are set to compete in 152 events across 28 sports, marking China's largest participation in the history of the Games. This year also marks the first inclusion of para-athletes in the delegation.

A total of 6,679 participants, including athletes, team officials, and technical staff from 116 countries and regions, are taking part in the Games. Of those, 3,942 are athletes, making this the largest edition in the history of the World Games.

Global Times