Ones to watch

BERLIN

Diving - Sophie Verzyl (USA)

USA diving is fiercely competitive, but Sophie Verzyl (USA), 22, has already made her mark. She is the recently-crowned national champion in 3m and 3m synchro. “I’m built for this, I’m meant for this, and these are dreams that I’ve been wanting for so long,” she said. She won three notable bronze medals at the Chengdu 2023 FISU World University Games, and will be looking to upgrade to the top step of the podium in the 1m spring, 3m spring and 3m synchro this time.

Swimming - Pieter Coetzee (RSA)

Pieter Coetzee (RSA) looks like the finest African swimming prospect since Olympic champion Chad le Clos. The 21-year-old from Pretoria is a phenomenon in the 100m and 200m backstroke: he swam at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games aged just 17, and finished fifth in the 100m at Paris 2024. “I want to swim for a long time and try to win medals at as many Olympic Games and World Championships as possible,” he said. Fans in Berlin can get a glimpse of that talent now.

Volleyball - Kallista and Nina Jioshvili-Ravva (FRA)

It was perhaps inevitable that twin sisters Kallista and Nina Jioshvili-Ravva (FRA) would end up here: both their parents were professional players, with mum Victoria notably successful: she was MVP of the Champions League three times, and lifted 19 French championships. The 18-year-olds are training at Texas Tech and are aiming to seal places in France’s senior team.

BOCHUM

3x3 Basketball – Elisa Mevius (GER)

Known as a relentless defender and nicknamed ‘The Menace’ by her University of Oregon teammates, Mevius won gold with Germany at the Paris 2024 Olympics and is aiming to be among the first student-athletes on a FISU Games 3x3 podium. The 21-year-old can pin her passion for the sport on her mother, Antje - a basketball coach who is obsessed with Michael Jordan, who famously wore the No.23 shirt for the Chicago Bulls. “My mom set her mind to having all of her kids born on the 23rd. She was doing workouts, running up the hill for us to come out on the 23rd by natural birth. And she actually did it with all three of her kids. My birthday is April 23, my younger brother is March 23, and the youngest is September 23.”

/ 1

Open gallery

3x3 Wheelchair basketball – Thomas Reier (GER)

Thomas Reier is one to keep your eyes on at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games. The 25-year-old 3x3 wheelchair basketball standout, playing for RBC Köln 99ers, already made history with a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Now, he’s bringing that winning mindset back to the court — and he’s not done yet.

Athletics – Bayanda Walaza (RSA)

Nicknamed ‘Wobble Wobble’ for his unorthodox style and called ‘Baya_the_great’ on his Instagram account, Walaza is certainly not short on self-confidence and this is why: the teenager boasts a personal best in the men’s 100m of 9.94 seconds and has the sixth-fastest time in the world this year. And all that on the back of a Paris 2024 silver medal in the 4x100m relay silver medal and double gold at the world U20 championships. Strap yourselves in – this guy can motor.

3x3 Wheelchair basketball – Thomas Reier (GER)

Athletics – Bayanda Walaza (RSA)

ESSEN

Archery - Lisa Barbelin (FRA)

Barbelin is already a star of the senior sport, winning a bronze medal at her home Olympic Games, Paris 2024, last summer, in the recurve. Barbelin, 25, has previously reached the world number one rank (she is currently rated eighth), and has World Championship silver and bronze Team medals in her collection. “I’m really happy about the French team,” There’s been a lot of work and a lot of confidence.” Barbelin’s long-term aim? To break France’s archery curse: they have not won an Olympic gold medal in the sport since 1992.

Artistic gymnastics - Oka Shinnosuke (JPN)

There are several superstars flying into the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, but none better known than Oka. The 21-year-old sealed his place in Japanese Olympic legend by winning triple gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in the all-around, horizontal bar and team events. He also grabbed bronze on the parallel bars. Fresh from taking the all-round title at the 2025 Asian Championships, he is sure to draw crowds of gym fans in Essen.

Basketball - Andre Iguodala II (USA)

No pressure, son: Iguodala II carries one of the most famous surnames in basketball. Andre senior won four NBA champions with the Golden State Warriors and is a London 2012 gold medallist. Now his 18-year-old boy is trying to follow those footsteps. Iguodala II has committed to Baylor to play college basketball, and is rated as a late blooming prospect who has developed great shooting skills. “My dad gives me advice and is really helpful in progressing my game, to be more aggressive” he said.

Fencing - Nisanur Erbil (TUR)

Erbil is a trailblazer for Turkish fencing. She left home age 14 to train in Ankara, and later became her country’s first athlete to win a World Cup medal. Now 22, she will head direct from this event to the World Championships. With a ranking of 13 in the sabre, she will take a lot of beating in Essen, and the 2018 Youth Olympian looks ready for the next level.

/ 1

Open gallery

Judo - Rufus Ferguson II (USA)

Ferguson II (USA) is aiming for the very top – although not necessarily in the sport he will be doing in Essen: his ultimate ambition is to play American football in the NFL. It is no pipe dream, either. His grandfather was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons back in the 1970s. His father, meanwhile, represented USA in judo at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. So Ferguson II has options: Los Angeles 2028 or the NFL draft? For now, one helps the other. “Judo helped me hold my own in those one-on-one battles,” he said about the crossover of sports. “I’m no longer just a student athlete, but I can say that I am a world class athlete.” For now, fans will get to see this powerhouse compete in the men’s +100kg category.

Rhythmic gymnastics - Margarita Kolosov (GER)

A true home hope for the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games. Kolosov came agonisingly close to an Olympic podium last summer: she was fourth in the women’s all-around at Paris 2024. Now the 21-year-old University of Stuttgart student is excited for the future, and has been appointed as an ambassador for this event. “After my fourth place finish at the Olympic Games, this is now the next big highlight in my career,” she said of Rhine-Ruhr 2025. “Since the rules have changed, I'm excited to see how I perform under the new conditions."

Table tennis - Yi-Hsin Feng (TPE)

There will be plenty of local interest in Yi-Hsin Feng (TPE): the 22-year-old plays in German Bundesliga for TTC Zugbrucke Grenzau, two hours south of Essen. He will have a great chance here, too. Feng is already in the world top 50 and has won multiple titles at youth level, as well as a 2021 Asian Championships silver medal.

/ 1

Open gallery

Tennis - Angella Okutoyi (KEN)

Okutoyi became the first Kenyan to win a junior Grand Slam title when she raised the Wimbledon girls’ doubles title in 2022, and has not stopped since. She is 2023 African Games Champion in singles, and became the first Kenyan to get to the third round of a junior major when she progressed in the 2022 Australian Open. Raised by her grandmother after the death of her mother, Okutoyi’s sister is also an accomplished player. “My journey is already inspiring so many young kids, and I can show them that they can also do it,” she said. "Most people know that tennis is a rich sport, and I didn't come from a rich family. So, me being able to break through, it's quite a good story.”

DUISBURG

Beach volley - Menia Bentele (SUI)

Bentele is a fast rising prospect. The 23-year-old won the 2023 Beach Pro Tour Futures Turnier gold with Anna Lutz, and has also clocked up a fifth place at the European Championships, and a second place at another Futures event in Messina. For Bentele, beach volleyball is a mind game. “I think mental strength consists of many different aspects,” she said. “It's handling pressure situations well, performing at the right moment and demonstrating what you're capable of in training.”

Rowing - Giovanni Borgonovo (ITA)

The 22-year-old single sculls athlete is back to defend the title he won at Chengdu 2023, and he is stronger than ever. The powerful and precise rower kicked on from that victory to get gold at the U23 World Championships, and the lightweight will be looking to Olympic qualification as his next step.

Water polo - Pietro Faraglia (ITA)

Italy’s team that stormed to gold at the Chengdu 2023 FISU World University Games return, as does their 21-year-old star striker from Rome, Faraglia. He is currently enrolled at Universitas Mercatorum, and is a great advert for being a student athlete: he believes the two things are mutually beneficial. “Studying and playing high-level sports is certainly complicated," Faraglia said. “It requires dedication, commitment, and programming skills. Keeping active with your books helps you improve as an athlete, and sport is essential for improving your concentration.”

MÜLHEIM

Badminton - Sathish Kumar Karunakaran (IND)

Karunakaran, 24, has a fine pedigree: he has a rank of 47 in the men’s singles and 33 in the mixed doubles, has represented India in the Sudriman Cup, and played at both the All-England and Malaysia Open. Karunakaran is notable for trying to excel in both the single and mixed doubles, an unusual combination. “It’s not common at all, but that’s the challenge for both me and my coach,” he said. “Nobody has done this successfully in international badminton, so that’s exactly what we want to achieve.”