Chu has National Day to remember, speeding his way to climbing gold

Chinese climber Chu Shouhong won the men's speed gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, clocking 4.71 seconds in the final.

The 19-year-old defeated two-time Asian Games champion Reza Alipour Shenazandifard of Iran to claim China's second gold medal in climbing at the Games.

The first came on earlier in the day, when Zhang Xuetong claimed victory in the women's bouldering final.

Damir Toktarov of Kazakhstan took the men's speed climbing bronze, while reigning Olympic champion Veddriq Leonardo of Indonesia was eliminated in the semifinals.

Chu's victory came after a dramatic competition in which several contenders were penalized for false starts. Among them was his Chinese teammate Long Jianguo who was eliminated in the semifinals as a result, leaving Chu to carry China's hopes in the final.

"I tried my best to stay focused and not be affected by external factors," Chu said after the race. "When I saw the result, I was very excited. After I came down, I cried."

The victory was particularly meaningful as it came on China's National Day, especially when the Chinese flag was raised and the national anthem played at the venue.

"I was especially excited and proud today. My country gave me a lot of strength," Chu said.

After confirming his victory, Chu raised his arms and shouted in English: "I'm from China."

He explained afterward it was "because I want to tell everyone, tell the whole world, this gold medal belongs to China".

Chu's triumph capped a difficult year in which he had struggled with his form and confidence. He admitted that before the Asian Games, he had even considered not coming to the competition.

"Back then, I didn't even want to come and compete. I had no confidence in myself at all," he said.

A turning point came at the World Climbing Series Comunidad de Madrid in late May, where Chu won the men's speed title in a personal-best 4.75 seconds. He said the victory itself was only part of the change, as conversations with others also helped him better understand himself.

"Technique makes up maybe 60 or 70 percent, and focus makes up 30 or 40 percent. You need both. The two things work together," Chu said.

Born in 2007 in Jingzhou county, Hunan province, Chu joined the provincial sports school's climbing team in 2019 after being selected for specialized training. He has since won the men's speed titles at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu and the 2026 World Climbing Series event in Madrid.

The climbing program at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games features six gold medals, with men's and women's events in speed, bouldering and lead. All three disciplines will also be contested as standalone medal events at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics for the first time.

The speed event is one of the fastest competitions on the Asian Games program, with athletes racing to reach the top of the wall in a matter of seconds.

Chu said his next goal is to maintain his form and prepare for the qualification events for the LA28.

Looking back on his difficult period, he said the message he would give his younger self was simple.

"Never doubt yourself. Believe in yourself. Believe in what you put in. Believe in your hard work."