The inaugural World Climbing Asia Youth Series concluded in Quannan, China, after four days of competition involving 174 athletes from eight Asian countries and regions. The event featured U15 and U17 competition in speed, lead and bouldering, providing a new continental platform for Asia’s emerging climbing talent.
Quannan | By Sayer Zaland
The World Climbing Asia Youth Series Quannan 2026 concluded on Aug. 16 in southern Jiangxi Province, bringing together 174 young athletes from eight countries and regions across Asia.
The competition was the first edition of the World Climbing Asia Youth Series and was staged at Quannan Climbing Town, a venue equipped for speed, lead and bouldering competition.
The event featured U15 and U17 categories, with the introduction of U15 competition offering younger athletes an opportunity to compete at the continental level.
China claimed four of the six U15 titles, while Japan and South Korea won one each. Chinese athletes were particularly dominant in speed, occupying all eight leading positions in the women’s competition and the top seven in the men’s event.
China’s Mu Zerun, 15, also won gold medals in both the U17 men’s bouldering and lead events.
Shinji Mizumura, vice president of the World Climbing Asian Council, said the addition of competition for U15 athletes provided a clearer picture of Asia’s developing talent pool and expressed confidence in the continent’s prospects at the international level.
The competition followed the World Climbing Youth Championship in Arco, Italy, where China and Japan each won three gold medals, while South Korea claimed two.
Sport climbing received International Olympic Committee recognition in 1993 and was formally added to the Olympic programme in 2016. The number of Olympic medal events increased from two at Tokyo 2020 to four at Paris 2024, with six scheduled for Los Angeles 2028.
