China takes U19 women's lead title at Asian Youth Climbing Championships

GUIYANG, China, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The 2025 Asian Youth Climbing Championships wrapped up here on Sunday, with China claiming one gold and one bronze medal in the day's lead finals.

Chen Xuanzhen captured the women's U19 lead title, while teammate Li Meini took bronze in the U17 category.

Already a silver medalist in U19 boulder earlier in the competition, Chen delivered a strong performance in the lead final, climbing 32+ to edge Japan's Manami Yama for the gold.

"I felt really good about this final," Chen said. "From the warm-up rhythm to my mental preparation, to reading the route, everything was better than before. I remembered every hold clearly and climbed exactly as I had planned, without unnecessary movements. It was a pity to fall near the crux, where I ran out of energy, but overall I'm satisfied."

The victory marked Chen's third career Asian youth title. She had previously won both the boulder and lead events in 2023 but had been sidelined from international competition for nearly a year due to injury. This tournament was her first major event since the World Cup circuit last October.

"My recovery is going well," Chen said. "Training and rehab are in balance now, and I can compete normally."

It was also her first gold at home or abroad since 2023, though Chen downplayed the result. "The rankings depend a lot on how others perform," she said. "Even though I won, I know I could climb better. Still, I'm very happy with how I executed most of the route."

In other results, Japan swept the podium in the U19 men's final, with Haru Funaki taking the title. In the U17 category, Japan's Taketo Saiki and Marin Nakamura won the men's and women's gold, respectively, while China's Li Meini secured bronze in the women's event.

Japan finished atop the medal table with six golds across lead and boulder. China ended the championships with three golds, three silvers and three bronzes. ■