Hungary's Roland Rontó hit the nail on the head at the Drone Racing at The World Games today when he said: "Three things I love about drone racing? Community, adrenaline and speed!" There was plenty of all of that on show today as the competition hit its mid-point.

The second day of racing looked like it could be threatened by storms, but early rain cleared and the sun came out. That meant it was baking hot with high humidity. As Roland added: "The experience for me in Chengdu has been mostly positive – except for the heat!"

Roland Rontó (HUN)

On the track the racing was also heating up as the race entered its Elimination rounds. Thirty one pilots enter the drone zone, but only 16 may leave. The rest are left, as they say, on the cutting room floor.

• Results

In total a series of 20 races were held over four hours, with a complex seeding process in place that allows pilots who do badly in their first race to get a 'second chance' to come through and still make the final.

Building on his excellent day yesterday, Korea's MinJae Kim won the first race of the day comfortably, and went on to win his next one too.

After his nightmare day yesterday, France's Killian Rousseau also won his first race but came up against MinJae Kim in his second, where he finished second to Kim.

That means they will meet again in tomorrow's second day of Elimination races – going head to head as they both try to make the final four.

Killian Rousseau said drone racing was, "fast, exciting and really stressful!" and this week was no exception. He added: "It's my second time at The World Games, so I am not a rookie anymore, but it is a huge opportunity to be here. This year the track is amazing, I think it is the biggest track I've seen in Drone Racing. I see a lot of friends here, and I'm really happy to be here at The World Games."

The fastest pilot so far, Korea's MinJae Kim, said that he was enjoying everything about The World Games. "Drone Racing is my everything. I have been doing this since 2018, and I will be doing this for a few years more, so yes it is my everything," he said.

He added: "Chengdu is a beautiful city, there is this beautiful panda track, the crowd is here, and there are a lot of pilots. It's a really great experience for a drone racer."

MinJae Kim (KOR)

Elsewhere, other early race winners included China's WonKyun Choi, Marvin Schäpper (LIE), Pavel Laszczak (POL), Nazim Tüzün (TUR) and Yuki Hashimoto (JPN). A total of 16 pilots went through in the first set of races, with the rest forced to battle in out in the second tier.

IT'S A MARATHON

While individual races are short, sharp and fast – the drones hit 150km/h in seconds – the overall competition is a long one. And the Elimination rounds can easily turn into a marathon. During some downtime we toured the pilots' tent to check on how they were enjoying the competition here in Chengdu.

"The World Games has been super fun," said the USA's Kalli Ames. "Drone racing is fun, competitive and community," she added. "And I'm really honoured to be here."

Kalli Ames (USA)

Japan's Hina Sato was making her way through the second tier and was loving it. "In Drone Racing you can feel like you are flying, and when you get to the race you can have fun battling with other people!"

Jacob Capobres (USA) added "Drone Racing is competitive, community based and global ... I've had a great experience so far. I loved the village, I love the track, it's very extravagant and I've just had a great time overall."

Spain's Vicent Mayans Cervera said The World Games had been "soooo good!" so far. "This is an amazing experience and I wish everyone could be here right now."

Nataliia Astakhova (SRB) said she had not had a great day yesterday, but she'd tried her best today and was feeling better about it. "Drone Racing is "precision, calmness and reactions," she said, "and I have been so nervous! That second word, calmness, I haven't had it! But I had another chance today and I tried my best."

Finally, Arvin Schröder from Germany echoed most people when he said he loved the "great community" of drone racing. "The World Games has been exhausting but fun – and I'm really happy!"

Arvin Schröder (GER)

Follow the competition

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

• FAI Facebook
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• The World Games 2025 - Drone Racing event - Website
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• Results
• FAI Flickr (images)
• #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.

Pilots waiting to race

Photo credit: FAI/Marcus King