Great Britain’s Ella Gibson has been named The World Games Athlete of the Month for July 2025 by the International World Games Association, days before she heads to Chengdu, China, to defend her compound women’s title at the 2025 competition, starting on 7 August.
The 25-year-old, who took gold at Birmingham 2022 over her great rival Sara Lopez, arrives in Chengdu buoyed by a confidence boost following her breakthrough triumph at the fourth stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in Madrid.
The win was a pivotal moment in an otherwise challenging season, as Gibson had not reached a World Cup final in 2025 until her success in Spain.
“In 2022, I won pretty much every event I went to,” Gibson told the IGWA. “But I think when you really do put your blood, sweat and a lot of tears in it, it means that much more.
In Madrid, Gibson edged India’s Jyothi Surekha Vennam in a nail-biting 148–147 final, closing out the match with composed, precise shooting despite the Indian archer delivering a perfect last end. The victory also ended Gibson’s podium drought, her last major medal being a bronze at The Vegas Shoot earlier this year.
With Chengdu’s sweltering summer heat and humidity looming, Gibson has been working on her preparation, even apparently incorporating sauna sessions to help her acclimatise.
