Lithuania Crowned WFDF World Wheelchair Ultimate Champions in Druskininkai

Lithuania has put its name in the history books as the second-ever champions of the World Wheelchair Ultimate Championship, defeating Japan 10-3 in a commanding final on Sunday at the Lithuanian Sport Centre. The bronze medal went to Italy, who defeated Germany 10-6 in a competitive match for third place. All games are available through VOD on WFDF’s YouTube Channel.

“The success of this Championship is a testament to the incredible athletes, the dedicated organizers in Lithuania, and the passion of our global community,” said Robert “Nob” Rauch, WFDF President. “This event is a true milestone in our mission to promote and develop all Flying Disc sports in an equitable and inclusive way, and I am positive that it will result in further growth of the discipline in advance of the 2027 edition.”

“When we won the bid to host this Championship, we committed to developing the discipline and being competitive,” said Ricardas Zareckis. “These athletes’ dedication over the past years to developing their skills and learning the strategies of Wheelchair Ultimate was truly amazing, and it was an honor to coach them.”

After facing off twice already in the round robin with two losses, the gold medal game presented the chance for Japan to adjust their strategy against Lithuania in the gold medal match. The host’s strong wheelchair control and defensive skills overpowered the Japanese and kept them in possession and control of the game, having seven breaks. With friends and family in attendance, support for Lithuania was also felt in the venue. In the bronze medal game, Davide Mangiacapra led the Italians to an early lead with four goals and one assist to keep control of the game over Germany. Strong handling from Germany’s Semih Tamam pushed for a comeback that ultimately was stopped.

“Seeing how the Wheelchair Ultimate has developed since the last World Championship in 2023 is exciting,” said Alessandro Somaini, Captain of Italy. “This medal means so much to our team. We came here with a goal to make the podium, we gave it our all through this Championship, and to achieve that is an amazing feeling.”

“Congratulations to the Lithuanian team on their Championship win. Lithuania and Japan held a Spirit Circle after their round robin games, which greatly elevated everyone’s spirit and allowed us to play a clean game. While the result isn’t what we wanted, I am incredibly proud of my team,” said Masahiro Nakamura, Head Coach of Japan. “They played based on the spirit of Ultimate, making this final game memorable. They also executed new tactics in Wheelchair Ultimate and will continue to contribute to the development of the discipline. This is only the beginning for this team and for the sport.”

Germany and Team World shared the Spirit of the Game Award, highlighting their commitment to upholding these principles within the sport.

Wheelchair Ultimate is a four (4)-a-side team sport played with a flying disc. It is played on a rectangular court with an end zone at each end. The objective of each team is to score a goal by having a player catch a pass in the end zone that they are attacking. A throw may not travel with the disc, but may pass the disc in any direction to any teammate. Any time a pass is incomplete, a turnover occurs, and the other team shall establish possession and attempt to score in the opposite end zone. Games are played to ten (10) goals. Wheelchair Ultimate is self-officiated and non-contact. The Spirit of the Game guides how players officiate the game and conduct themselves on the court. Players have a physical impairment impacting their lower limbs (and optionally, upper limbs) and are classified according to the Classification Rules and Regulations. They play using a manual wheelchair. Wheelchair Ultimate is the first discipline developed with an introductory book (Flying Disc Parasport Wheelchair Ultimate, 2021), a precursor to the Wheelchair Ultimate Rules (updated in 2025).

The complete results, statistics and livestream replays from the World Wheelchair Championship are available on the WFDF website, social media and YouTube channels.