A look at which drone racers to follow in The World Games – and how you can catch the action

It’s second only in size to the Olympics, so for the drone pilots who’ve qualified to compete, The World Games represents a huge stage to show what they’re capable of. Among the lineup of 32 athletes, which includes eight women and 13 juniors, are several hungry for a shot at the prize.

“I plan to defend my champion title”

They include the defending champion, Killian Rousseau (FRA). The 21-year-old says he practises for up to 20 hours a week, and constantly works on his drone to make it go faster. “This year I plan to defend my champion title from The World Games in 2022 and bring another gold medal home to France.”

He adds: “I'm feeling good and increasingly prepared for the World Games. I've been training for a while now, fine-tuning my drone's settings and configuration to be as competitive as possible. This is a major event of the season, and I'm hoping to deliver a very strong performance there.”

Killian Rousseau (FRA)

"Win the race"

Other contenders include the 2024 FAI World Drone Racing champion, Yuki Hashimoto (JPN). The 18-year-old says he only has one goal at the World Games: “To win the race”. He has spent up to 10 hours a day training for the four day contest and says the thing he loves most about the sport is winning. Observers note his natural aptitude is close to genius but he’s also hoping to have a good time. “Hopefully I meet some good friends and everyone will have a good race. I'll make some good memories.”

Yuki Hashimoto (JPN)

"I will do my best"

Among female athletes, names to watch include Wanraya Wannapong (THA), who took up drone racing at the age of eight. “I am so excited and happy to be competing again,” she says. “This is my first competition of the year and it has been a long time since I last competed. I feel a little unprepared for this competition, but I will do my best as a representative of the Thai national team.”

Wanraya Wannapong (THA)

“I can’t wait to start this adventure”

Wanraya is a three time FAI World Drone Racing champion. She was also came second at the 2024 FAI World Drone Racing Championships in Hangzhou, China. The woman she lost out to that day is Italian pilot Luisa Rizzo (top picture) and she’s also in contention for a medal at The World Games. “I’m feeling very excited and can’t wait to start this adventure,” Luisa says. “I’ve been waiting for a long time since the last edition in 2022 and I want to enjoy every moment of this great event,” she says.

“I know that every pilot there is the fastest in the world and I’m there with them, so I will just focus on fighting and doing my best. It’s never easy, so a good strategy and a good preparation will definitely make the difference. My goal is to get in the top 10 but at this level anything can happen and sometimes luck decides the race.”

She adds: “My strategy is always to adapt to who I’m racing against, so I can decide whether to take a risk or not, if it’s worth it or not. And also, to always stay focused on my pace. I also think about my strategy before racing, because when I start flying my mind has to be free to put all my effort in racing.”

Luisa Rizzo (ITA)

Event format 

To be successful athletes have to go through three stages of the competition – qualification, elimination and a final. Pilots first fly in a series of qualifying rounds, each consisting of eight races, with four pilots in each race. In each race, the athletes are allowed up to three minutes of flight time to complete three consecutive laps. The elimination round is a knock-out tournament leaving the four best-placed athletes to compete in two successive races.

• Competition format

Schedule

• Wednesday 13 August: Model processing, Pilot’s track walking through, Competitor’s meeting, Official practice
• Thursday 14 - Saturday 16 August: Competition

Follow the competition

FAI will provide extensive coverage of the competition, with regular updates on its website, Facebook, and Instagram.

• FAI Facebook
• FAI Instagram
• The World Games 2025 - Drone Racing event - Website
• Livestream
• #TWG2025
• #airsports

About The World Games

The World Games: 7-17 August 2025
The World Games drone racing event: 13-16 August 2025

The World Games is a prestigious multi-sport event organised by the International World Games Association (IWGA) under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Held every four years, The World Games showcases the best athletes in non-Olympic sports, providing a global platform for emerging and innovative disciplines. Air Sports have been part of The World Games since 1997.