The 2025 Idol Star Championships featured impressive performances, with X:IN's Nova winning gold in dance sports, raising competition standards.

MBC's '2025 Chuseok Special Idol Star Championships' concluded with a grand finale. This year, dance sports attracted attention with a glamorous stage reminiscent of professional competitions. Nova from X:IN, with 12 years of experience as a dance sports athlete, overwhelmed the venue with a series of high-difficulty performances, securing a score of 29.3 out of 30, confirming victory. This score surpassed the previous highest record of 29.2 points set by Kep1er's Shen Xiaoting in the 'Idol Athletics Championships,' showcasing a performance at the level of professional competitions and elevating the standard of dance sports in the 'Idol Athletics Championships.' Wearing a gold medal, Nova expressed special feelings about winning, stating, 'It has been my dream to participate in the 'Idol Athletics Championships' since before debut.' This moment proved once again that the 'Idol Athletics Championships' is a stage where idols can fully demonstrate their abilities and passion, transcending mere variety shows. In the mixed-gender team shooting event, a big match featuring representative idol families from Korea, special combinations exclusive to the 'Idol Athletics Championships,' called 'Rookies,' participated. The 'Rookies' team consisted of four newcomers who debuted this year: Minjae from KickFlip, Zuan from AHOF, Ihyun from Baby DONT Cry, and Herin from HITGS. In the semifinals, WAKEONE defeated SM, and the Rookies triumphed over STARSHIP to advance to the finals. In a close final match, WAKEONE's izna's Bang Jimin and Rookies' Minjae shot inner tens, leading to a fierce competition. Subsequently, the Rookies secured the gold medal against ZEROBASEONE's Kim Jiun & Song Hanbin and izna's Bang Jimin & Choi Jeongun, winning the first 'Idol Athletics Championships' in shooting. Following this, the highlights of the 'Idol Athletics Championships' continued with the 400m relay, a fierce race showcasing the pride of the idols. The women's 400m relay saw many super rookies participating for the first time, generating buzz. In particular, MC Jung Hyunmoo shared a behind-the-scenes story about being surprised by Hearts2Hearts' speed while running to receive lunch during the break, highlighting them as strong contenders. In the first qualifying heat, Hearts2Hearts maintained the lead from the start, recording first place, while last year's silver medalist Kep1er advanced to the finals in second place. In the second qualifying heat, FIFTY FIFTY and Queenz Eye also advanced to the finals. With outstanding teamwork, Hearts2Hearts maintained the lead from start to finish, proving their 'lunch power' and winning the gold medal, creating a remarkable result as a dark horse in their first 'Idol Athletics Championships.' The men's 400m relay featured gripping matches. As it was a competition for the pride of the men, there were numerous overtakes throughout the qualifiers. In the first qualifying heat, AMPERS & ONE and KickFlip advanced to the finals after a fierce battle. In the second qualifying heat, last year's gold medalist &TEAM made a critical mistake by dropping the baton but still recorded second place, advancing to the finals alongside LUN8. To make up for their mistake in the qualifiers, &TEAM showcased overwhelming speed, achieving a time in the 58-second range and securing their second consecutive victory in the 400m relay, once again proving their status as the strongest in athletics. On this day, according to Nielsen Korea's nationwide ratings, MBC's 'Idol Athletics Championships' Part 3 recorded a 0.7% rating among viewers aged 20-49, ranking first among all programs aired during the same time slot. All episodes broadcast during the Chuseok holiday achieved first place in this ratings category, demonstrating overwhelming presence as a representative variety show of Chuseok. Particularly, the moment when popular rookie Carmen from Hearts2Hearts crossed the finish line first in the 400m relay, securing the team's gold medal, recorded a peak viewership rate of 4.8% per minute, delivering excitement to viewers. MBC's '2025 Chuseok Special Idol Star Championships' is a representative variety program of Chuseok, where top-class idol stars challenge various sports, creating historically significant topics every year. The '2025 Idol Star Championships,' aired from October 6 to 8, featured diverse competitions including athletics (60m sprint, 400m relay), dance sports, shillok (Korean wrestling), PK, and the newly established shooting event, making it a festival for families to enjoy during Chuseok. For 15 years, MBC's 'Idol Athletics Championships' has been a representative variety show of Chuseok, showcasing idol stars expanding their stage beyond music to sports, delivering joy and inspiration to fans worldwide, and proving the strength of K-content.