Laura Burgos wins gold at the World Games

▲ The Monterrey native performs a ritual before each fight. Photo AFP

Adriana Díaz Reyes

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, August 11, 2025, p. 9

Laura Burgos always loved martial arts. She first tried taekwondo, inspired by the success stories of Olympic medalists. It didn't work. The same thing happened with kickboxing. It was in muay thai, a discipline she learned at 20 years old, that the Mexican found that magnet that, 14 years later, has her ranked among the best in the world.

Yesterday, the Monterrey-born athlete gave Mexico its second gold medal at the World Games in Chengdu, China. Laura, 34, defeated Poland's Martyna Kierczynska 29-28 in the 54-kilogram category, improving on her silver medal at Birmingham 2022. Slovakia's Monika Chochlikova took the bronze.

The arena was packed and the atmosphere was incredible. I think we put on a great show for the crowd, and that makes me very happy. The goal was achieved , the national team member told the International Federation.

The two-time world champion faced a highly technical fight, with dominant moments for both her and the European. Despite the close fight, the judges awarded the victory to Burgos, who celebrated the verdict with a raised fist and a few chest punches.

In her nearly 15-year career, Laura has established herself as a fierce competitor in the ring; a beacon of inspiration for those who have followed her career since its inception. From her earliest fights, the gladiator learned not only to defend herself against her opponent, but also to intelligently manage her strength. Today, she is one of the best in the art of hand-to-hand combat.

The 2022 World Games were my first international competition. Since then, I've focused on the small details and worked hard to become a better version of myself. The same passion, but now with more tools and experience.

Outside the ring, the Mexican plays a crucial role in defining the future of Muay Thai. As Vice President of the Athletes Commission of the International Federation of Muay Thai Associations (IFMA) and representative of Pan American athletes, she works to amplify the voices of her peers, ensuring they have a place in the global development of the discipline.

It's a difficult balance, but helping pave the way for younger athletes is a responsibility I take very seriously. I want to make sure the next generation has opportunities and support , he told the official World Games website.

This ancient martial art is one of the most comprehensive disciplines. During fights, hitting any area of the opponent's body is permitted, with chokeholds, genital strikes, and head strikes being prohibited.

I'm passionate about the freedom of movement you have and the respect among competitors. I've always said, choose what you want to be and then work to be the best at it. Heart and discipline: that's everything.

Muay Thai arrived in Mexico in the 1980s, but didn't gain popularity until 2000. The discipline has experienced significant growth in recent years and is spearheaded by the Mexican Federation, with recognition from its international counterpart.

Our president, Óscar Pérez, has done a great job, and it shows in the national team's results. Communication with the authorities is good because we've held training camps, held camps, and have provided support for our coaches , the Mexican shared in an interview with CONADE.

Another pioneer in the sport is Paul Curiel Islas, who has won national and international medals throughout his career.

At the recent world championships held in Antalya, Turkey, Mexico was represented by three women and four men, with Laura being the only medalist. Months earlier, the national team had a remarkable performance at the Pan American Championships held in Ottawa, Canada, where they won two gold medals and three silver medals.

Near the podium

In the wakeboarding or water skiing discipline, Pablo Monroy was one step away from the podium, finishing fourth in the freestyle event with 62 points.

In other results, Héctor Vázquez was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the wushu (85kg) discipline. The Mexican wrestler faced Spaniard André Fandiño, who dealt him a blow to the head from which he was unable to recover.

With Laura's medal, Mexico reached three medals in Chengdu, which temporarily places it in 20th place in the medal table led by Germany (11-8-5), China (11-3-1) and Italy (7-11-10).

▲ The diver trains at the CARE facilities in New Mexico. Photo by Vianney Carrera

Vianney Carrera

Correspondent

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, August 11, 2025, p. 9

San Nicolás de Los Garza, Nuevo León, the name of Olympic medalist Osmar Olvera will be highlighted on the roof of the Olympic pool at the High Performance Sports Center (CARE) in Nuevo León. Governor Samuel García announced a 70 million peso investment for the renovation of this space.

According to the state leader, the renovations are expected to be completed in March 2026, before the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Nuevo León, where six matches will be played, not four, although FIFA has not made this official.

Osmar Olvera, adopted from Nuevo León, and emphasized that he won three silver medals and the gold, becoming the Mexican diver with the most medals in the history of the world championships , Samuel García highlighted.

The governor also indicated that the roof and remodeling of the sports center will require an investment of 70 million pesos.

Olvera, originally from Mexico City, has been training for four years at the CARE facilities in the municipality of San Nicolás de los Garza, where he has prepared for the most important competitions in the world.

Dream big. If you believe it's possible, it takes a lot of work and effort, but anything can be achieved. Don't be afraid of heights; be daring. Find a place to train. Listen to the coaches. Hard work is a big part of it. That's the most important thing ," Olvera emphasized.

On August 1, Osmar won one gold and three silver medals at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

▲ Iván Aguilar (top) took gold, while judoka Aylín Ávila (bottom) took silver. Photo @PanamSports and @COM_Mexico

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, August 11, 2025, p. a10

Iván Aguilar had a double celebration at the Asunción 2025 Junior Pan American Games. The cyclist not only took home the gold medal in the cross country event, but also earned his ticket to the Lima 2027 Pan American Games, almost two years before the start of the continental competition.

In a day in which Mexico also won five silver medals and two bronze, the Hidalgo native clocked a time of 1:16.53. The competition was held in the city of Encarnación.

Led by coach Juan Carlos Hernández, 22-year-old Iván led the race from start to finish, leaving Argentine Nicolás Reynoso (1:17.42) and Brazilian Eiki Yamauchi (1:17.58) in second and third place, respectively. Brazilian Nils Gutiérrez finished fifth with a time of 1:21.42.

With his first place, Iván, who has been among the best in mountain biking World Cups, also achieved direct qualification for the Pan American Games in Lima, earning his nominal pass.

The second medal for Mexican cycling went to José Antonio Prieto, who took silver after completing the time trial with a time of 49:23.25 minutes.

The Aguascalientes native fought a close battle with Colombian Samuel Flores, who took the gold. The bronze went to fellow coffee grower Juan Diego Quintero.

The metal harvest continues

Rowers Roberto Ahumada and José Ignacio Navarro gave Mexico its first medal in Asunción with a bronze in the double sculls event. The team improved in their competition and made it onto the podium, which also included Brazil (gold) and Chile (silver).

"I'm very proud of the result. I'm excited to discover new slopes, and I dedicate this award to God, my parents, my sisters, and my nephews, who are my strongest pillars. With this competition, I conclude my youth career and move on to higher-level challenges, where I hope to be successful ," said Ahumada, who in his free time supports his father with fishing in his native Baja California.

Sofía Ibarra, a sports shooter, won silver in the 10-meter air pistol event.

I feel very fortunate to be here and share this experience with my teammates. I've worked hard on my mental health, I've felt very comfortable, and I really liked the course ," said the Sonoran, who started practicing the sport thanks to her sister.

Fencer Ana Paredes also won the Argentine medal in the individual épée event after losing 15-7 to Venezuela's Victoria Guerrero. The bronze went to host Janine Hanspach and Luna Fernández of Costa Rica.

Aylín Ávila, in judo, added another second place to the national tally. The junior lost in the 52 kg final to Rafaela Rodrigues of Brazil. In the same discipline, Eduardo Sagastegui won bronze in the under 60 kg category, Jhonathan Benavides of Colombia won gold, and Christopher Velazco of the United States won silver.

The women's 4 x 100m freestyle relay contributed a silver.

In the archery qualifiers, Mexico took the lead in the mixed compound team events (1,265 points), in the mixed recurve (1,183) and in the women's recurve (1,135).

Yesterday, María José Cabrera, the youngest competitor in the Mexican delegation at only 11 years old, also made her debut ( skateboarding ).

With eight medals, Mexico occupies fourth place in the medal table, tied with the United States.

▲ Spanish rider Alex Palou secured his third consecutive crown. Photo @AlexPalou2

AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, August 11, 2025, p. a10

Los Angeles, Spain's Alex Palou secured his fourth IndyCar title, his third in a row, yesterday at the Portland Grand Prix. The Chip Ganassi Racing star took advantage of his first of three opportunities to win the title by finishing third and taking an already unattainable lead in the standings over Mexican Patricio Pato O'Ward, the only rival who threatened him and who suffered car failures during the race.

At 28 years old, Palou already has four crowns in the series (2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025) and is only surpassed by the 10 won by American AJ Foyt and the six by New Zealander Scott Dixon. His four titles equal the record of the legendary Mario Andretti, the Frenchman Sébastien Bourdais and the Briton Dario Franchitti, the last to string together three consecutive victories, between 2009 and 2011.

His dominance this year, with eight wins in the 15 races contested, allowed the Spaniard to celebrate early in a race in which Australian Will Power won, followed by Dane Christian Lundgaard.

O'Ward was practically forced to win to make it to Milwaukee on August 24th, the penultimate round of the season, but his hopes were dashed in the cruelest of ways.

The Arrow McLaren driver, who took pole position on Saturday, overtook his teammate Lundgaard at the start of the race, but his car suffered an electrical failure on lap 21, which caused his team to push the car to the pits for inspection.

The No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet was forced to return to the pits on lap 22 for repairs after a cable connected to the black box malfunctioned. They have since returned to the track, 10 laps behind the leader , the team said in a statement.

That problem caused him to lose ground in the fight for the top spots and secured the title for Alex Palou, as the Monterrey native was forced to recover at least 14 points in Portland.

O'Ward, a two-time winner this year, rode the remainder of the race in the final stretch and finished in 25th place.

▲ The U-15 women's team won the 2025 Super Cup. Photo @fmf

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada NewspaperMonday, August 11, 2025, p. a11

The Mexican U-15 team was crowned champion of the CONCACAF Championship after defeating the United States 5-0 in the tournament final yesterday in Costa Rica.

The tricolor team had a convincing performance in the first half and headed towards victory thanks to goals from Juan Carlos Martínez Jr, who scored a double (at minutes 16 and 24), Paxon Ruffin (20) and Da'vian Kimbrouhg (22).

In the second half, the Mexicans weren't content with their sizable lead and increased it to the 65th minute, with a great shot from Lisandro Torres, who made it 5-0.

In addition to winning the championship, the members of the U-15 team were also recognized with the Fair Play Award for their good discipline throughout the tournament.

Individually, Martínez Jr. was honored as the event's Best Player, while Kimbrouhg received the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer.

Meanwhile, the U-13 and U-15 women's teams won the 2025 Super Cup titles in their respective categories.

Crystal Palace is crowned

Crystal Palace pulled off another upset at Wembley by beating reigning Premier League champions Liverpool to lift the Community Shield.

After stunning Manchester City in the FA Cup final in May to secure their first ever major trophy, Palace again defied the odds, winning a penalty shootout 3-2 following a 2-2 draw in normal time in the opening match of the new English league season.

Oliver Glasner's side had to come from behind twice after Liverpool's new signings, Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong, scored. Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr scored for Palace.

Ekitike impressed with his first goal for Liverpool in the fourth minute; however, Palace equalized from the penalty spot in the 17th minute. Sarr was brought down by Virgil van Dijk, and Mateta sent Reds goalkeeper Alisson the wrong way with his shot.

Frimpong restored Liverpool's lead with a goal in the 20th minute, but Sarr equalized again in the 77th minute with a powerful close-range shot.

Without extra time, the match went straight to penalties, and Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool the worst possible start by firing over the bar. Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson then saved shots from Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott.

But with Eberechi Eze seeing his shot saved by Alisson and Borna Sosa hitting the crossbar, Justin Devenny sealed the penalty shootout.

Tricolors in action

Mexican Mateo Chávez, who plays for AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands League, contributed an assist in the 4-1 win over FC Groningen.

Meanwhile, César Chino Huerta, of Anderlecht, Belgium, was left on the bench in the 3-2 defeat to Zulte-Waregem.