China's speed climbers dominate at Asia Youth Championship, as squad also hits new heights in bouldering and lead

The World Climbing Asia Youth Championship Guiyang 2026 concluded on Aug 25 in Guiyang's Guanshanhu Park, following five days of competition among 213 athletes from 16 Asian countries and regions.

China topped the medal table with 10 golds, nine silvers and three bronze medals. Japan finished second with three golds, four silvers and five bronze, followed by the Republic of Korea with two golds, three silvers and three bronze. Indonesia won one gold and three bronze, while Kazakhstan claimed two bronze medals.

The championship represented the highest level of competitive youth climbing in Asia. It featured U17 and U19 age groups, each divided into men's and women's categories, with contests in bouldering, lead, speed and speed relay.

The event also coincided with a key preparation period for next month's Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, giving teams an opportunity to test young athletes and strengthen their competitive experience.

China maintained its traditional dominance in speed climbing. In the speed finals on Aug 24, Chinese athletes won four golds, four silvers and two bronze medals.

In the U19 men's event, world record-holder Zhao Yicheng won the title in 4.69 seconds, overcoming the disappointment of a false start at last year's Asian Youth Championships.

Wang Yuting won the U19 women's title, while Wang Chunyouxuan and Huang Xinyi took silver and bronze.

China also claimed both U17 speed titles. Zhou Mingyi and Wang Peilin finished first and second, respectively, in the men's event, while Chen Nuo and Yang Zijiao took the top two places in the women's competition.

In the speed relay finals on Aug 25, China completed a clean sweep of the four U17 and U19 men's and women's gold medals. Speed relay has recently been added to the World Cup competition program.

China also made a breakthrough in bouldering and lead.

In the U17 women's bouldering event, Tan Youtian, Li Meini and Lu Yijing swept the podium, marking China's first medal sweep in bouldering at an international competition.

The team continued its strong showing in lead, with Lu and Li taking the gold and silver medals, respectively.

Japan and the South Korea remained leading forces in the men's bouldering and lead events. Japanese athletes swept the U17 men's lead podium, while Korean climbers won both U19 men's titles. Indonesia claimed the U17 men's bouldering gold.