In a thrilling World Games debut for the four-lane speed climbing format, Long Jianguo of the Chinese mainland shattered the national record with a blazing 4.74 seconds to claim men's gold on Friday in Chengdu.
On the women's side, Indonesia's Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi powered up the wall in 6.35 seconds to secure the inaugural crown, edging out newcomers and veterans in a field of four.
Unlike the Olympic two-lane standard, the four-lane format pits four climbers on parallel routes, racing side by side. The finale brings all four finalists together in one high-stakes sprint to the top pad.
'This format is so much fun,' said Long. 'There's a lot of unpredictability. Today, my teammate and I both made mistakes in one run. You feel the pressure, but it's about who can hold on.'
A former World Cup winner, Long topped qualifications before surviving a nail-biting quarterfinal. He entered the medal race as the sole representative of the Chinese mainland and never looked back.
Indonesia's former world record holder Kiromal Katibin chased Long in 4.81 seconds for silver, while Kazakhstan's Rishat Khaibullin grabbed bronze just 0.02 seconds later.
The women's podium margins were equally tight. Desak led the pack, followed by Qin Yumei in 6.42 seconds, Indonesia's Rajiah Sallsabillah in 6.951 seconds, and Poland's Natalia Kalucka, just 0.005 seconds back.
Fans and athletes alike praised the new format for its excitement and multiple qualifying runs, giving climbers extra chances to adjust and adapt.
Toru Kobinata, Vice President of the International Federation of Sport Climbing, called the World Games 'a perfect test bed' for innovations like four-lane racing, adding that 'nothing is certain until the last moment.'
With its faster pace and crowd-pleasing showdowns, four-lane speed climbing is poised to bring even more drama to global competitions.
Reference(s):
China, Indonesia win in four-lane speed climbing's World Games debut
cgtn.com
