Four-Lane Speed Climbing Debuts in Style 🧗
Chengdu welcomed a game-changing format at the World Games: four climbers racing side by side, all aiming for the top pad in record time. This isn’t your typical Olympic two-lane show—it’s an adrenaline-packed four-way dash that keeps both athletes and fans on the edge! 🎮🚀
China’s Long Jianguo Shatters Record
In the men’s final, China’s Long Jianguo blasted up the wall in 4.74 seconds, smashing his national record and grabbing gold. After a nail-biting qualification and a tight quarterfinal, Long stood as the lone Chinese climber in the medal race—and he nailed it! 🥇
Indonesia’s Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi Rules the Women’s Field
Not to be outdone, Indonesia’s Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi soared to victory in the women’s race with a slick 6.35-second climb. She edged out newcomer Qin Yumei (6.42s) and fellow Indonesian Rajiah Sallsabillah (6.951s), who just sneaked past Poland’s Natalia Kalucka by 0.005 seconds. 🥇🇮🇩
New Format, New Thrills
For many climbers, the four-lane twist adds fresh excitement. USA’s Logan Schlecht called it “super fun,” noting that the format gives athletes four chances to shine and correct mistakes. IFSC VP Toru Kobinata says it’s all part of pushing sport climbing to the next level and delivering a heart-pounding show for everyone. 💥
With unpredictability dialed up, and multiple runs keeping the drama high, four-lane speed climbing could be the next big thing in multi-sport events. Get ready for more epic races on four parallel lanes—it’s a whole new adventure! 🌟
Reference(s):
China, Indonesia win in four-lane speed climbing's World Games debut
cgtn.com
