China dominates World Climbing Asia Youth Championships with 10 golds

The 2026 World Climbing Asia Youth Championships wrapped up in southwest China's Guizhou Province on Tuesday, following five days of competition.

The host nation topped the medal table with 10 golds, nine silvers and three bronzes, a tally that underlined the event in Guiyang as the continent's benchmark for youth climbing.

This year's program showcased the U17 and U19 age groups, with separate men's and women's divisions across the boulder, lead, speed and newly-introduced speed relay categories, following the latter's official integration into the World Cup circuit.

The speed remained a particular strength for the home country, as China claimed four golds, four silvers and two bronzes in the individual events.

The speed relay finals then saw the delegation sweep all four titles across the U17 and U19 men's and women's races, closing the team competitions with an impressive four golds and three silvers.

In the technical disciplines, the longstanding Japan-ROK hegemony showed signs of erosion, as China continued to steadily close the gap with Asia's elite.

The boulder final ended with the Chinese U17 women completing a groundbreaking medal sweep, while the U17 lead featured all four entrants from the host nation advancing to the final.