Italian athlete Mattia Debertolis passes away at World Games in China

Four days after he collapsed during the World Games in Chengdu, China, Italian orienteer Mattia Debertolis passed away on Tuesday. The 29-year-old was found unconscious by organisers during the men’s middle-distance orienteering event on Friday.

The death of Mattia Debertolis was confirmed in a joint statement from the International World Games Association (IWGA), Local Organising Committee (LOC) of The World Games 2025 Chengdu and the International Orienteering Federation (IOF).

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“Despite receiving immediate expert medical care at one of China’s leading medical institutions, he passed away,” World Games organisers said in a statement.

International Orienteering Federation (IOF) President Tom Hollowell said he was “not able to adequately describe the unfathomable depth of sadness in this tragic loss of life”.

The cause of Debertolis’ death is unknown at this stage.

For the uninitiated, the World Games is a multi-sport event held every four years for events that are not listed in the Olympics. Orienteering is an outdoor sport in which participants have to navigate between unmarked checkpoints using a map. It combines physical activity with map-reading and problem-solving.

Reacting to Debertolis’ death, IOF president Tom Hollowell said, “I am not able to adequately describe in words the unfathomable depth of sadness in this tragic loss of life.”

“Our thoughts are with all who mourn Mattia. I encourage the global orienteering community to honour his memory,” he added.

Debertolis, a civil engineer, was pursuing his PhD at the university in Stockholm, where he lived and was part of the orienteering club IFK Lidingö.

In the current edition of the World Games, the Italian was one of 12 athletes listed as “Did Not Finish” in the official results.