Amid loud cheers from spectators at Tianfu Park, the climbing events of the Chengdu World Games kicked off on August 14. The Chinese climbing team showed exceptional form, claiming 2 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals in the speed climbing individual events. In the women’s category, Chinese athletes swept the gold, silver, and bronze, marking the first time in this edition of the Games that three Chinese national flags were raised simultaneously.

As an Olympic event, speed climbing draws significant attention and has long been a strong discipline for the Chinese team, which won silver medals in both the men’s and women’s events at the Paris Olympics. Despite the sweltering heat on competition day, the venue was packed, with an enthusiastic crowd cheering for the Chinese athletes.

This year, China fielded a powerhouse roster. In the men’s event, Chu Shouhong, Long Jianguo, and Li Xu all advanced to the quarterfinals. In the women’s event, Chinese athletes dominated the field, with Deng Lijuan, Qin Yumei, Zhou Yafei, and Zhang Shaoqin making it into the top eight. Ultimately, Chu Shouhong clocked 4.80 seconds—a personal best—to defeat American climber Watson for the gold medal, while Long Jianguo secured bronze. The women’s final was fiercely contested, with Deng Lijuan winning gold in 6.40 seconds, just 0.01 seconds ahead of silver medalist Qin Yumei. Zhou Yafei defeated an Indonesian opponent to take bronze.

In recent years, China’s speed climbing results have been outstanding. At the 2022 IFSC Climbing World Cup in Villars, Switzerland, Chinese athletes claimed five of the six medals available, with Long Jianguo, Wu Peng, and Long Jinbao sweeping the men’s podium, and Deng Lijuan and Niu Di taking gold and silver in the women’s event. Following their two silver medals at the Paris Olympics, the Chinese team has continued to achieve breakthroughs, with many athletes surpassing their personal bests. Both the men’s and women’s squads now have climbers close to world-record times, giving them formidable competitive strength.

At the post-event press conference, silver medalist Watson joked, “I think everyone noticed I was the only non-Chinese athlete on the podium. That’s a testament to the strength of the Chinese team—congratulations to them.” With Chinese athletes occupying five of the six podium spots, their “group advantage” was undeniable.

Gold medalist Chu Shouhong said, “I’m grateful for the support and training from my team, which helped me win this precious gold medal. I also thank my strong opponents for pushing me to continually break my limits and set a new personal best.” Speaking on the fierce competition within the national team, he added, “Off the field, we’re great teammates and friends, but on the field, there are no reservations. Internal competition drives us to be better versions of ourselves.”

Climbing has always been an extreme sport, and speed climbing in particular demands constant self-improvement—even a 0.01-second gain matters. The outstanding performance at the Chengdu World Games will inspire China’s speed climbing team to keep reaching new heights.