China's young stars hit new heights

The starting signal rang out. Less than five seconds later, Chinese climber Zhao Yicheng had already tapped home first.

His men's U19 speed final time of 4.69 seconds was the fastest of the championship at the Guizhou Caihu International Climbing Center in Guiyang.

After stepping onto the podium, Zhao turned toward the stands and made a "call me" gesture with his thumb and pinky finger. It was a lighthearted celebration of a victory that had been a year in the making — and a way of closing the chapter on a disappointment that had stayed with him for months.

From Aug 21 to 25, the World Climbing Asia Youth Championship Guiyang 2026 was held at the center, bringing together 213 athletes from 16 Asian countries and regions.

Competitors in the U17 and U19 age groups contested four disciplines — bouldering, lead, speed and speed relay.

Held during a crucial preparation period for next month's Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the championship offered a glimpse at the next generation of Asian climbing talent.

China sent 37 athletes and topped the medal table with 10 golds, nine silvers and three bronze medals.

The host maintained its traditional dominance in speed climbing, sweeping all eight gold medals in the individual and relay speed events.

It also made significant progress in bouldering and lead climbing, disciplines in which China has traditionally faced stronger competition from Japan and South Korea.

In the U17 women's events, Chinese athletes swept the bouldering podium and claimed gold and silver in lead climbing.

The results highlighted both China's depth in its strongest discipline and the rapid progress being made in areas where it still has ground to make up.

For Zhao, however, the U19 men's speed gold carried a particularly personal meaning.

A year ago, at the 2025 edition of Asia Youth Championship in Guiyang, Zhao lost the final after a false start.

Over the following year, he produced strong performances at international competitions, including the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, Hainan province, and the World Cup in Wujiang, Jiangsu province, while repeatedly setting and resetting world records. Yet success brought greater expectations, and those expectations sometimes made it harder for him to relax.

"I actually thought a lot about it before this competition. I felt that, over the past year, I had been too hard on the version of myself from last year," Zhao said after the race.

"I wanted to rediscover the feeling I used to have."

At the start of the final, Zhao followed his routine precisely.

His reaction was controlled yet decisive, and he completed the course in 4.69 seconds.

"My reaction at the start today was very controlled. I treated every race according to the standard procedure," he said.

He later explained his podium celebration. "I wanted to call my past self and tell him: 'See? You can still win the championship without a false start,'" Zhao said.

"I got over that hurdle a long time ago, but I also wanted to use this competition to learn to relax again," he said.

"I used to think I had to be absolutely focused, but many factors at competitions are beyond my control. I need to learn to accept them and find a balance between focus and relaxation."

As a world-record holder, Zhao knows that expectations will only grow.

"Throughout this process, I've also wanted to keep my mindset unchanged, but there are indeed many factors that I cannot control," Zhao said, pausing before encouraging himself: "I'm a world-record holder, after all. Why shouldn't I have more confidence?

"What matters is keeping the motivation and doing your best."

That personal breakthrough was part of a dominant performance by China in speed climbing.

In the individual speed finals on Aug 24, Chinese athletes won four golds, four silvers and two bronze medals. A day later, China swept all four gold medals in the speed relay, completing a clean sweep of all eight speed titles.

In the U17 women's bouldering final, Tan Youtian was the only competitor to complete all four problems, taking gold. Teammates Li Meini and Lu Yijing won silver and bronze, respectively, giving China a clean sweep of the podium — a first for the country in the event at an international competition.

In the U17 women's lead final, Lu and Li finished first and second. All four Chinese competitors advanced to the final, underlining the depth of the country's emerging talent pool.

At just 1.54 meters tall, Guiyang native Lu is not among the tallest climbers in the field.

"When I was younger, I thought many routes were difficult because of my height and that I simply couldn't reach certain holds," Lu said.

"Now I feel that there are no holds on a women's course that are unreachable. It's only a matter of whether your ability is good enough."

Her family and classmates came to cheer her on, giving her an extra boost.

"Winning the gold medal in my hometown makes me especially happy, and it also gives me more confidence," Lu said.

Competition in the men's bouldering and lead events remained fierce. Japanese and South Korean climbers continued to demonstrate their strength. South Korea won the U19 men's bouldering and lead titles, while Japan swept the U17 men's lead podium. Indonesia claimed the U17 men's bouldering gold, underlining the rapid development of climbing across Asia.

China did not make the podium in the men's bouldering and lead events, but its young athletes showed clear signs of progress.

Coach Yu Jianxin said the improvement of China's U17 women's bouldering and lead teams was the result of sustained efforts to expand youth competitions, promote participation and identify new talent.

At the same time, he explained that challenges remain, including a shortage of high-level coaches and course setters, as well as an unclear career pathway for young athletes, noting that talent development system in China still needs further refinement.