Two-time Olympic champion Ivan Litvinovich won his first individual world title in men’s trampoline at the 2026 World Championships in Nanjing. He posted 66.300 to edge defending champion Wang Zisai of China on the final day, 8 November.
Last up, eyes averted
Litvinovich performed last in the final at the Yangtze River International Convention Center. He deliberately did not look at Wang’s score, knowing he would start getting nervous.
When he did see that Wang had posted a 66, he realised it would be a struggle. He had expected second place at best. The FIG report gives his margin as 0.140 points, though Xinhua reported 0.014.
A familiar podium, a new name on top
Wang, the 2025 champion, said nerves made him too conservative and that he needs to learn Litvinovich’s “killer instinct”. Yan Langyu took bronze with 65.830, making it a Chinese one-two either side of the Belarusian.
The podium echoed Paris 2024, where Litvinovich beat Wang and Yan for Olympic gold. His previous world best was individual silver at the 2019 Tokyo Worlds. In Nanjing he also helped Belarus to team gold and took synchro bronze.
A list ticked off
“I’d already reckoned on second place at best, but I ended up just a little higher than that!” Litvinovich said. He added that the World Championships title was one of the goals on his list, and that he had now ticked it off.
He said there are still a couple of competitions he would like to win. Having already become the first man to repeat as Olympic champion, the world title completes another line on the record.
