WDSF World Caribbean Dances Championships 2025 – Day 2 Highlights from Istanbul

Istanbul, Türkiye, Sunday 7th December. The second and final day of the WDSF World Caribbean Dances Championships 2025 delivered a spectacular conclusion to an already memorable first edition in Türkiye. Following an electrifying opening day, expectations were high, and Istanbul once again rose to the occasion. With a highly engaged crowd, smooth organisation throughout the day, and a programme packed with decisive world-title events, Day 2 offered a fitting finale to a truly historic weekend for Caribbean Dances.

From the early morning hours, spectators filled the Green Park Pendik Hotel with even more energy, warmth and anticipation that had characterised the championship’s opening day. Fans arrived eager to witness the remaining world finals, while athletes carried both the excitement and the pressure of performing on the last day of competition. The organisers kept everything running with remarkable precision, allowing the final stage of the event to unfold seamlessly from start to finish.

Highlights and Key Results of the day, Sunday 7^th December

The second competition day offered a dynamic and diverse programme, bringing together world titles competitions, emerging talent and some of the most anticipated couple categories of the championship. From the very first rounds of the morning, the atmosphere inside the hall reflected both the excitement of the athletes and the eagerness of the spectators to experience the decisive moments of this historic edition. The schedule featured a rich variety of disciplines.

As the day progressed, the atmosphere inside the venue rose to new heights with the WDSF Open Salsa Shine Juvenile shows, one of the most enjoyable segments for spectators. While not world championship categories, these showcases provided a refreshing burst of creativity and charisma. The audience responded with visible delight, applauding the courage, talent and enthusiasm of the youngest performers.

These performances served as a reminder of the championship’s broader purpose: celebrating the full spectrum of Caribbean dances, from elite senior athletes to the next generation just beginning their competitive journey. Many spectators described the Juvenile shows as some of the most heart-warming moments of the weekend.

The audience followed every category with unwavering enthusiasm, creating a vibrant and uplifting backdrop for the crowning of the remaining World Champions. Between the categories held over the second competition day we can find:

WDSF World Championship Bachata Shine Solo Female Adult

The day began with a vibrant series of Bachata Shine competitions, setting an energetic pace for the hours ahead. The Adult category opened the morning programme, showcasing a field rich with musicality, expressiveness and technical precision. As the rounds progressed, the audience responded enthusiastically, cheering athletes from different nations with the same contagious spirit displayed on Day 1.

The Bachata Shine Solo Female Adult final featured an exceptional line-up of international talent, headed by Spain’s Carmen Sanz Jiménez, who arrived in Istanbul as one of the most decorated athletes in the discipline. Silver medallist in Bachata Shine at the 2024 World Championships and already a double World Champion in Salsa Shine in both 2024 and 2025, she entered this edition pursuing the dream of securing world titles in both disciplines over the same weekend. Her performance in Istanbul reflected that ambition, reaffirming her artistic maturity and competitive consistency at the highest level.

Italy’s Sara Sablone, herself a former World Champion in Bachata Shine and a multiple medallist across both Shines, delivered yet another world-class performance to secure the silver, adding further depth to an already impressive competitive record spanning two seasons. Colombia’s Paola Andrea Gutiérrez Medina completed the podium with her first world medal in the Shine discipline, adding to the strong results she would deliver later in the day in Salsa On One competition and past recent successes on Open events. The remaining finalists, Italy’s Elisa Malucchi, Türkiye’s Alina Turcan and Spain’s Raquel Meroño Campillo, contributed to a final rich in stylistic variety and technical refinement, underscoring the growing competitiveness of the category.

WDSF World Championship Bachata Shine Solo Male Adult

The Bachata Shine Solo Male Adult final assembled one of the strongest line-ups of the championship, headed by Italy’s Tommaso Mancini, an athlete whose competitive achievements place him among the most accomplished male Shine dancers on the WDSF circuit. Already a World Champion in Salsa Shine Duo Adult and the silver medallist in Bachata Shine Solo Male at Guadalajara 2024, Mancini added yet another world title in Istanbul, further reinforcing his reputation for exceptional versatility across both solo and couple disciplines.

Spain’s Adrián Oliver Arredondo, the 2024 World Champion in Bachata Shine, secured the silver medal with a polished and expressive performance, building on his consistent presence in world finals over the past two seasons. Completing the podium, Italy’s Lorenzo Vivirito, widely recognised for his multiple world titles with Rita Lonardo in Salsa and Bachata, showcased his adaptability by claiming the bronze medal in the category, adding yet another highlight to a remarkable competitive record that spans Shines and Couple events alike. The remaining finalists, Türkiye’s Ege Dönmez and Ege Şen, along with Italy’s Thomas Crucianelli, contributed to a dynamic and engaging final, bringing depth, stylistic diversity and strong international representation to one of the most competitive categories of the day.

WDSF World Championship Salsa Shine Duo Female Adult

The Salsa Shine Duo Female Adult final brought together a diverse and talented group of athletes, led by Türkiye’s Naz & Güneş, who arrived in the final already carrying exceptional momentum. After securing the Bachata Shine Duo Female Adult world title the previous day, they returned to the floor with confidence and artistic clarity, adding a second world crown to their fast-growing résumé and reaffirming themselves as a strong duo across both disciplines, with a promising future ahead. Italy’s Spinelli Laci delivered a performance of remarkable precision and musical poise, earning the world silver medal in what marks her strongest international result to date. Completing the podium, Slovakia’s Jasmina & Nada showcased expressive synchronisation and a refined stylistic identity, building on their top-seven placement in Bachata Shine Adult on Day 1 to claim a well-deserved world bronze. The remaining finalists — Spain’s Duo Tania & Ruth, Italy’s Chiaraluce Luchetti and Slovakia’s Liana & Sofia — contributed to a final rich in variety, each bringing their own blend of experience, promise and artistic individuality to a highly competitive line-up.

WDSF World Championship Salsa On One Adult

The final showcased an exceptional field led by Türkiye’s Emirhan Yalçın and Alina Turcan, a newly crowned couple on the world stage, who arrived in Istanbul in outstanding form and secured a World Championship victory in Salsa On One. They would further demonstrate their versatility by adding a World Championship bronze in Salsa On Two on the same day, to the great pride of the home crowd. Their victory marked an important milestone in the category and demonstrated the strength and diversity of international participation at this year’s championship. Italy’s Tommaso Mancini and Aurora Tomassi continued their ascent on the world stage by taking silver, adding to Mancini’s impressive accumulation of world-level honours, and reinforcing the couple’s growing reputation in elite Salsa and Bachata competitions. The bronze medallists, Türkiye’s Ege Dönmez and Naz Dönmez, delivered a sharp and confident performance, building on their top-four finish in Salsa On Two also this day to confirm their status as one of Türkiye’s most promising competitive couples. The remaining finalists, Italy’s Lorenzo Vivirito and Rita Lonardo, Francesco Ruotolo and Aurora Giusti, and Leonardo Aluigi and Laura Pallari, contributed to a technically rich and stylistically diverse final, reflecting the depth and international breadth of the category.

WDSF World Championship Salsa On Two Adult

The final world title of the evening was awarded in Salsa On Two Adult, a discipline renowned for its rhythmic sophistication and technical precision. The champions, José Vargas and Angélica Martínez of El Salvador, entered the floor with a strong competitive legacy, having previously secured a World Championship bronze in 2024 and demonstrating steady progression since their early appearance in Cali in 2022. Their Gold in Istanbul marks a decisive milestone in their rise to the top tier of the discipline. Italy’s Lorenzo Vivirito and Rita Lonardo, this year’s Silver medallists, reinforced their status as one of the most versatile couples on the circuit, adding this podium to a remarkable record that includes world titles across Salsa On One and Bachata, as well as a silver in this same category in Guadalajara’s 2024 event. The Bronze went to Türkiye’s Emirhan Yalçın and Alina Turcan, who arrived fresh from claiming the Salsa On One world title earlier on the same day, confirming their consistency across couple categories. The remaining finalists, Ege Dönmez and Naz Dönmez, Thomas Crucianelli and Arianna Zanconi, and the young Turkish couple Mertcan Çakar and Damla Eda Karabaş, contributed to a dynamic and high-level final, reflecting both the depth of talent and the evolving competitive landscape of Salsa On Two.

The Junior categories also took the floor over the day, bringing a wonderful contrast of youthful creativity and rapidly developing skill. These events highlighted not only the impressive technical level already present among young athletes but also the promising future of the Bachata Shine discipline within the Caribbean dances.

Between the categories that were also unfolded over the second competition day we can find: WDSF World Championship Salsa Shine Duo Female Junior, WDSF World Championship Bachata Shine Solo Male Junior and Female Senior, WDSF Open Salsa Shine Female and Male Juvenile. You can check all the results of the day here.

A Memorable Conclusion to the First Turkish Edition

The second and final day of the 2025 World Caribbean Dance Championships uplifted the exceptional standard set on the first day. The Turkish audience once again proved to be one of the event’s great strengths, passionate, knowledgeable and constantly supportive of athletes from all nations.

Fans who wish to relive the excitement can watch the full event replay, available through the live section on the official WDSF website.

Reflecting on the success of the closing day, WDSF President Shawn Tay shared his appreciation for the athletes, organisers and spectators whose collective efforts brought this edition to life:

“Istanbul just confirmed the incredible potential of Caribbean Dances. The athletes delivered world-class performances, and the Turkish audience embraced every moment with enthusiasm and heart.”

As the curtain fell on this landmark edition, Istanbul celebrated not only its champions but also the growth, unity and cultural richness that define Caribbean Dances within the WDSF family.

Pictures by Konacoglu Art.

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Published on 11 December 2025

WDSF World Caribbean Dances Championships 2025 – Day 2 Highlights from Istanbul

Highlights and Key Results of the day, Sunday 7th December

A Memorable Conclusion to the First Turkish Edition

Stay connected with us

Highlights and Key Results of the day, Sunday 7^th December