Elite athletes, rising nations, and global icons unite in Sofia, Bulgaria for the sport’s most powerful and inclusive event to date.
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| Elana Lyubenova |
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| Andrey Andreev |
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| Tomas Popisil and Daniel Hristov |
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| Stoyan Pavlov |
The championship
brought together the strongest, most skilled, and most passionate figures in
the sport for what proved to be the biggest historic event. Athletes ranged
from seasoned veterans to first-time competitors; the categories showcased the
depth and diversity of talent within the worldwide calisthenics community.
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| Legend Chris Heria with the WSWCF Founder |
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World champs including Judge and
German Champion Latwist
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| Louli Bensalem |
Global calisthenics legends made appearances, including Chris
Heria, Viktor Kamenov, Daniels Laizans, Latwist, and ErycOrtiz, igniting excitement among the athletes and fans. A historic moment
was also marked by Louli Bensalem, the first Arab woman to ever step
into the World Championships, breaking barriers and inspiring many.
The judging panel featured an all-star team: VadymOleynik, Eryc Ortiz, Anke, Szarka Akos, Latwist,
Pearl Joseph, Max Fainzilberg, Cveti Staneva, and DmitrijSirjajev - each a respected icon in the sport.
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| Judging Team |
With categories in endurance, freestyle, bodyweight, and weighted reps, this year’s championship marked an extraordinary leap forward for the sport. Countries from around the globe were represented - from Europe,
Asia, and Africa, including standout nations like Germany, Ireland, France,
Russia, Mexico, Tunisia, Poland, Hong Kong, and Great Britain.
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| India Team |
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| Switzerland team |
Mazen Ahmed gave a standout freestyle performance
representing the Egyptian Federation of Street Sports and Fitness. Palestine’s
Adham Alsqour earned 1st place in the heavyweight category, while Ali AlHamawi
secured 2nd place in the middleweight freestyle and reflected on competing with
world champ Hassan Badran - who returned this year aiming to defend his title
with high spirits and fierce determination. Inspiring the next generation of athletes in Lebanon, Dimitrios Nicolas, Lebanon's two-time National Champion, brought high spirits and strength, showcasing the power of hard work and consistency.
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| Dimitrios Nicolas with Chris Heria |
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| Egypt Team |
Germany’s presence was displayed by iconic world freestyle
athletes and Creapure’s, sponsorship support. The Heavyweight Freestyle title
went to Simon Imhauser, while Fanis Chrysoulas of Greece claimed 1st place in Middleweight Power, adding another accolade to his five-time national and world
champion status. Notably, Spyros Asimakopoulos, Greece's National Champion, celebrated for his static strength, is paving a new era for young and aspiring calisthenics athletes in Greece. Tomas Pospisil of the Czech Republic and Jasmina Svilenova
were named Absolute World Champions, with Jasmina also winning the female
freestyle middleweight category.
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| Jasmina Svilenova Receiving Her Trophy |
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| Simon Imhauser With His Trophy |
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| Spyros Asimakopoulos |
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| German Freestyle Calisthenics Team |
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| Greek Calisthenics Team |
In the female categories, Ireland’s Nikki Glynn dominated as Veteran World Power Champion and placed third in strength and endurance.
France’s Calisthenics powerhouse in female power street workout and, is the current world record holder for bodyweight dips - Anastasia secured her position as the Absolute Power World Champion. KaterinaHauskova won in the veteran freestyle category, while Romanian force Alisia Persa claimed the Female Heavyweight Freestyle Champion.
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| Nikki Glynn |
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| Anastasia |
The UK showed strong representation with a powerful and
passionate team, coming home with 6 medalists, supported by the United Kingdom calisthenics Organisation (UKCO). Notable athletes included UKCO
National Champion Chloe Nibloe, endurance finalist and 2024 National Champion,
Jack Dechant, Irish athlete, along with Sarah T and Jonny Wright. Special credit goes to
athlete, mentor, and coach Ben Lynch for helping bring the UK calisthenics team
to this global platform, alongside Clare Livemore and coach Woj - whose elite
judging and coaching contributed to the high performance of UK and Ireland athletes alike, backed by the Irish Calisthenics Institution - an education platform dedicated to developing the sport across the country.
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1st image: Nikki Glynn, 1st place Female Veteran Power World Champion,
and 3rd place holder Female Veteran Freestyle, Aoife. 2nd image: Female Veteran Power World Champions |
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| Ben Lynch stood in between the 2 fastest female world champions: Nikki Glynn, Power Veteran, and Clare Livemore, Endurance Veteran |
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| UK Calisthenics Team |
One of the most exciting developments was the debut of the
Scottish national team. Led and founded by Paddy McIntyre of the Scottish
Calisthenics Squad, nine Scottish athletes competed for the first time on the
world stage. Paddy, who runs @get_a_grip_calisthenics gym, personally organised
Scotland’s national competition earlier this year, where over 20 competitors
battled for a spot in Bulgaria.
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| First Scottish Calisthenics Team to compete at the World Championships |
Reflecting on the milestone, Paddy shared: “It
was a huge success organising the Scottish national calisthenics competition at
my own gym. Most of the athletes had never experienced anything like this
before - it was their first time competing at a high level, and they all had an
amazing experience.”
Paddy’s mission is to continue growing calisthenics in
Scotland, helping raise the standards and visibility of UK athletes in future
international competitions.
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Scottish Calisthenics Team
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The event was not without tension; one particularly emotional moment arose in the freestyle finals between close friends and competitors Ilay Bardugo, the Israeli national champion, and Tomas Pospisil from the Czech Republic, who was ultimately crowned the Male Freestyle Absolute World Champion; a solid victory for Czech republic for taking home 5 medals.
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| Freestyle Absolute World Champion, Tomas Pospisil |
However, a small judging controversy sparked conversation online, but the sportsmanship between the two highlighted the spirit of unity at the core of this growing global movement.
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| Ilay and Tomas |
Among all the accolades, one thing was clear - this event
would not have been possible without the dedicated leadership of founder MarisSlezins, WSWCF president Rolands Kikors, and vice president Bahador Razaghi. As
Bahador said: “Athletes, judges, fans watching us from all over the world - thank
you for being a part of this sport.”  |
| WSWCF team and founder |
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Founder of WSWCF Maris Slezins, stood with the Bulgarian
World Champion, Jordan Jovtchev and organisers |
Judge Latwist echoed this sentiment: “Thank you to the
Bulgarian community and supporters of this organisation - without you, we
wouldn’t be here.”
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| Latwist |
With empowering guest appearances like Bulgarian fitness
icon Suzan Georgieva and the sheer volume of talent on display, WSWCF 2025 was
more than just a competition - it was a global movement. The energy,
discipline, and unity displayed in Sofia set a new precedent for calisthenics as
a growing sport and confirmed its rising global momentum.
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