The Rock Climbing World Cup Wujiang Fenhu Station ended with Wu Peng winning the men’s speed championship
China News Service, Beijing, April 16. The “2024 International Climbing Federation World Cup Rock Climbing Competition (China Wujiang Fenhu Station)” concluded recently with Wu Peng from China emerging victorious in the men’s speed event. Samuel Watson from the United States and Kiromar Katibin from Indonesia secured the second and third place respectively.
In the women’s speed event, Alexandra Miroslaw and Natalia Kawuchka from Poland, along with South Korean player Zheng Jiyun, clinched the first, second, and third place positions. Toby Roberts from the United Kingdom and Japan’s Honma Daharu and Anle Zeto claimed the top three spots in the men’s difficulty event. Yania Garnbret from Slovenia, Luo Zhilu from China, and Xu Caixuan from South Korea triumphed in the women’s difficulty event.
During the men’s speed preliminaries, Samuel Watson set two world records by climbing twice. He surpassed the previous world record in the first round with a time of 4.85 seconds and further improved it to 4.79 seconds in the second round. In the finals, Wu Peng from China outperformed his competitors to secure the men’s speed championship.
Despite not breaking the world record, Polish athlete Miroslaw equaled her own record in the women’s speed final with a time of 6.24 seconds. The competition saw a high performance threshold with the qualifying time for the finals set at 7.25 seconds.
The Chinese team, consisting of 14 athletes, showcased a blend of experienced competitors and budding talents. With a strong focus on developing young athletes, China is gearing up for the Paris Olympics while also nurturing future rock climbing stars.
Wujiang Fenhu has played a pivotal role in the growth of rock climbing in China, hosting numerous World Cups over the years. The event witnessed a surge in ticket sales, underscoring the growing popularity of rock climbing in the country. The venue has been recognized as a training base and a hub for both domestic and international rock climbing events.
The success of the recent World Cup and the enthusiastic turnout of spectators highlight the evolution of rock climbing from a niche sport to a trendy and emerging discipline in the sporting world.