Nadine Alsheikh Hassan – AIPS Media
CHENGDU, August 14, 2025 – “I am the only athlete from El Salvador competing in Chengdu. This win makes me proud, especially as it is my first international medal and my first World-level Games.” With those words, Ivonne Sarai Nochez Gallardo etched her name in history, delivering El Salvador’s first-ever gold medal at the World Games. The 21-year-old triumphed in the women’s 100m road sprint at Shuyue Park’s Chengdu Roller Sports Centre, crossing the line in 10.70 seconds. She edged France’s Haila Brunet Alvarez (10.74) by just 0.04 seconds, with Guatemala’s Dalia Soberanis (11.28) taking bronze.
TOUGH RACE, SPECIAL DEBUT Reflecting on the final race at her first time in China, Ivonne said: “It was a very tough race. The sprint is an individual event that requires a lot of power at the start. China is a very nice country, and everything is very organised. This is my first time at the World Games, and I’m delighted to have done this experience.”
SOYAPANGO STREETS TO WORLDSTAGE Born on April 23, 2004, in Soyapango, just east of El Salvador’s capital San Salvador, the country’s second-most populous city with over 250,000 residents. A busy residential and industrial hub, it has faced challenges of poverty and crime but is seeing renewed efforts toward economic growth. For Ivonne Nóchez, it was where resilience and ambition shaped her journey from playing as a kid in local streets to the world stage. Ivonne began skating at the age of five, encouraged by her father, Carlos Nóchez, and grandmother, Marta Portillo, who channelled her endless energy into the sport. By 13, she was already dominating national competitions, with her talent identified early by coach Baltazar González. At 15, she became the youngest member of El Salvador’s delegation at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima.
Ivonne Nóchez at a skating competition in March 2012 (Photo courtesy of Ivonne)
CAREER BREAKTHROUGH Her international breakthrough came at the 2022 World Figure Skating Games in Buenos Aires, where she achieved an unprecedented triple gold medal in the junior category, winning the 200m finish line, 200m finish-to-finish, and 100m lane race. She followed this with silver at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, podium finishes at the 2022 European Cup in Geisingen, Germany, and the XIX Bolivarian Games in Valledupar, Colombia.
“I’ve been skating since I was five, and when I started winning, I knew I wanted to keep going,” Ivonne has said. “Every medal is for my family, my federation, and everyone who believes in me.”
100M RACE FORMAT The second day of the road speed skating competition featured two distinct medal events: the Men’s & Women’s 100m sprint and the 15,000m elimination. In the elimination format, skaters complete laps around the circuit, and at specific checkpoints the last to cross is eliminated from the race. This process continues lap after lap until only six competitors remain. These final six then race head-to-head, with the first to cross the finish line taking gold, followed by silver and bronze. The 100m sprint, on the other hand, is a pure speed test. Like an athletics sprint but on inline skates over asphalt, it is decided entirely by the fastest recorded time from start to finish.
Ivonne Nóchez on podium at the age of 14 after winning a national skating competition in 2016. (Photo courtesy of Ivonne)
WOMEN’S COMPETITION Colombia’s Gabriela Rueda controlled the 15,000 elimination race from the start, taking gold in 28:20.32. France’s Marine Lefeuvre claimed silver, just 0.27 seconds behind, while Mexico’s Valentina Alejan Letelier Cartagena secured bronze, 2.13 seconds adrift. China’s Dan Guo was eliminated during a penalty lap.
MEN’S COMPETITION In Men’s 15,000 elimination, Colombia struck gold again as Juan Jacobo Mantilla Pinilla dictated the pace to win in 23:20.57. Ecuador’s Nicolas Alexander Garcia Pazmino took silver, 0.42 seconds behind, with France’s Martin Ferrie earning bronze, 19.10 seconds back. For the Men’s 100m sprint, Spain’s Jhon Sebastian Guzman Bitar collected his second gold of the Games, clocking 9.53 seconds after his victory in the one-lap sprint the previous day. Italy’s Vincenzo Maiorca (9.72) and Germany’s Ron Pucklitzsch (9.91) completed the podium.
Colombia’s dominance in road speed skating continued with gold in both elimination races, while host nation China finished the day without a medal. The Roller Sports programme at the Chengdu World Games runs from August 7–17, featuring 10 gold medals in speed skating track events and four in inline freestyle.
Ivonne Sarai Nochez Gallardo of El Salvador in the women’s 200m dual time trial final, inline speed skating track, at the World Games Chengdu, 14 Aug 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)
WHAT’S STILL TO COME On August 15, the final day of track speed skating will take place, completing the 10-event programme that began on August 7. The schedule features time trials, sprints, point races and 10,000m elimination formats across men’s and women’s categories.
The action then moves indoors to Shuyue Park’s Chengdu Roller Sports Centre for inline freestyle. On August 16, the world’s best will battle in Speed Slalom, testing explosive footwork and precision timing. The competition concludes on August 17 with the Classic Slalom, where style, control and technical difficulty will decide the medals in both men’s and women’s events.
Colombia continued to underline its dominance in road speed skating, taking gold in both men’s and women’s elimination events. China ended the day without a medal in the sport.
