The World Climbing Asia Youth Championship took place from August 21 to 25 at the Guizhou Caihu International Climbing Center in Guiyang, drawing 213 athletes from 16 Asian countries and regions. The competition served as a key platform for young climbers in the U17 and U19 categories to contest four disciplines: bouldering, lead, speed, and speed relay. It also functioned as an important preparatory event ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya next month and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

China, the host nation, fielded 37 athletes and topped the medal standings with a total of 22 medals: 10 gold, nine silver, and three bronze. The Chinese team maintained its established dominance in speed climbing by sweeping all eight gold medals across individual and relay speed events. This included a standout performance from Zhao Yicheng, who secured the U19 men’s speed title with a championship-best time of 4.69 seconds in the final. Zhao’s victory was particularly significant after a false start cost him the title at the previous year’s iteration of the championship in the same city.

Zhao reflected on his journey over the past year as one filled with growing expectations and self-imposed pressures, despite strong showings at international competitions such as the Asian Beach Games and the World Cup. After his recent win, he emphasized the importance of balancing focus with relaxation, citing the need to accept factors beyond his control to maintain optimal performance.

Alongside their speed climbing successes, Chinese athletes made notable strides in bouldering and lead climbing—disciplines where Japan and South Korea have traditionally been more competitive. In the U17 women’s bouldering final, Tan Youtian secured the gold by completing all four problems, while teammates Li Meini and Lu Yijing claimed silver and bronze, marking China’s first clean podium sweep in an international bouldering event. In the U17 women’s lead final, Lu and Li took the top two positions, with all four Chinese finalists having qualified for the last round.

Guiyang native Lu expressed pride in her hometown victory, attributing her success to perseverance despite earlier doubts related to her height. She noted that mastering climbing routes depends primarily on skill rather than physical stature, highlighting a positive shift in confidence among China’s youth athletes.

Competition in men’s bouldering and lead remained tightly contested, with South Korean climbers winning the U19 men’s bouldering and lead titles, and Japanese athletes sweeping the U17 men’s lead podium. Indonesia claimed the U17 men’s bouldering gold, underscoring climbing’s growing competitiveness across Asia. China’s male athletes did not reach the podium in these events but demonstrated measurable progress.

China’s climbing coach Yu Jianxin attributed improvements in the U17 women’s teams to sustained efforts expanding youth competitions and talent development programs. Nonetheless, he noted persistent challenges, such as a shortage of experienced coaches and course setters, as well as an unclear career pathway for young climbers. Yu emphasized the need to further refine the country’s talent development system to sustain and enhance China’s emerging presence in the sport.