"It's really cool and a big honor to win the World Games, especially for our country Switzerland," Rancan said after claiming the gold.

Describing the competition as "really tough", Rancan said he and his teammates had to get themselves adjusted quickly to the heat and humid conditions as they came to Chengdu just three days ago.

"I think we managed quite well and the key was to start not too fast and fight until the end," he said.

Rancan's fellow Simona Aebersold added a double glory for Switzerland in the women's middle distance event in orienteering.

The reigning champion swept gold medals in all three events she competed in the games' 11th edition in Birmingham, United States, in 2022: middle-distance, sprint, and mixed sprint relay.

"I'm happy and satisfied with my performance," she said after the competition.

Aebersold comes from a prestigious orienteering family, with her father being a three-time World Orienteering Championships relay gold medalist.

"I was brought to orienteering races since I was a kid and orienteering became a part of my life," she said, noting that her father has helped and followed her growth throughout her career.

In the previous editions of the World Games, the Swiss team captured 10 of the 26 gold medals awarded in orienteering, placing them at the top of the sport's medal table, according to statistics from the organizing committee.