Lukan wins record gold at 2025 World University Games

Slovenia's Klara Lukan made history by winning the first athletics gold medal of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, marking a perfect opening day of competition at the newly refurbished Lohrheide Stadium in Bochum.

Lukan recorded a remarkable time of 31:25.84 seconds in the women's 10,000 meters, breaking Viorica Ghican's 35-year-old FISU record of 31:46.43, which was set during the last time Germany hosted the Games in the Duisburg Universiade in 1989.

The 24-year-old outclassed her competitors, finishing over 15 seconds ahead of Sarah Wanjiru Njeri from Kenya, who took second place with a personal best of 31:41.80. Alicia Berzosa Martin from Spain secured the bronze medal with a personal best of 32:00.73.

That record set the tone for the rest of the competition in both athletics and field events, in which Uganda had six competitors all making their debuts on the opening day of athletics competition.

First in was Polline Apiyo, who competed in the women’s long jump qualification Group B contest, where she made 5.28, way below her season’s and personal best of 5.65 and 5.58, respectively.

Australia’s Delta Amidzovski topped the qualifier with a leap of 6.57 (season best) followed by Portugal’s Agate Sousa (6.52) and Netherlands’ Pauline Hondema, who jumped 6.46 meters in the competition that attracted 24 participants.

In the women’s qualification Group A contest, Uganda’s Winnifred Atimango produced a leap of 5.25, which was also below her season best of 6.04. Chinese Xiong Shiqi topped this group’s qualifier with 6.41 meters ahead of Australia’s Samantha Dale and Germany’s Samira Attermeyer who jumped 6.38 and 6.32 meters respectively.

In the men’s 400m races Joseph Okolimo who competed in heat-2 made 48.55, missing the qualification mark by one second in the heat that was won by Italy’s Edoardo Scotti who came first in 46.81 ahead of Poland’s Marcin Karolewski (46.97) and New Zealand’s Alexander Liki Revell-Lewis (47.55) in the event in which only the top three qualified to the next round.

Johnson Nyeko in heat-7 was also 77 microseconds short of his season’s best and missed qualification to the next round by 79 microseconds in fourth position below Hungary’s Patrik Simon Enyingi (46.59), Polish Daniel Soltysiak (46.83) and USA’s Nayyir Sabien Newash-Campbell (47.47), who qualified to the next round.

Uganda’s sprinting queens Bridget Mbwali and Mercy Charity Atiang also made their debuts in the 100m heats, posting 12.16 and 12.30 and missing qualification by 34 microseconds and 46 microseconds, respectively.  Ukraine’s Diana Honcharenko (11.59) and France’s Naomi Riskwait (11.62) won both heats, respectively.

On Tuesday evening, Uganda’s Edreen Tenywa and Johnson Ayesiga were due to compete in the 1500m heats one and three as Marvarous Orishaba and Priscilla Akello stretch their muscles in the 800m heats.