THE WORLD MEMORY, MIND MAPPING AND SPEED-READING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2025

Digital Memory Championships Enters a New Era as a 16-Year-Old Girl Becomes World Memory Champion

The 34th World Memory Championship 2025 marked a historic milestone as it was hosted for the first time in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from 12 to 14 December 2025.

A total of 169 elite competitors from 15 countries participated in the world’s highest-level memory competition, including representatives from Algeria, the United States, Australia, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, India, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Russia, Vietnam, and more.

The championship showcased remarkable diversity across age and gender. The youngest competitor was just 7 years old, while the oldest participant was 71. Among the competitors, there were 84 male and 85 female participants, reflecting strong global inclusivity in memory sports.

A Historic Leap into the Digital Era

This year’s championship represented a major turning point in the history of memory sports, as digital technology was fully integrated throughout the entire competition process for the first time.

Key technological advancements included:

• Live test data generation on stage by five representatives from different countries
• Fully digital, technology-driven competition formats
• Automated scoring systems operating in full compliance with international standards
• Real-time leaderboard updates throughout the event

All memorisation sheet data generation processes were conducted under the direct supervision of Dominic O’Brien, eight-time World Memory Champion and Head of Ethics (England). The materials were subsequently inspected, sealed, and secured in a safety box by the Chief Arbiter, International Master of Memory Mr Teo Kim Foo (Malaysia).

With the implementation of advanced digital systems, WMC 2025 achieved unprecedented accuracy in scoring, significantly reducing the risk of errors and disputes. This transformation ensured absolute transparency, precision, and fairness, and is widely regarded as a milestone that officially marks the beginning of a new era for global memory sports competitions.

Kim Foo Teo – Chief Arbiter for Memory.