Wujiang opens the IFSC Speed World Cup season and some familiar names are turning up the heat
Shortly after the Lead season opened in Wujiang, China, it was time for the Speed climbers to make their bow in the 2025 season with both the men and women completing qualification for their first final line-ups of the new year.
Speed climbing throws up surprises all the time, and that’s why we love it.
World record holder Sam Watson from the USA goes into the finals in first position with the fastest time of the day, a 4.76s.
Then comes the surprise. Olympic champion Veddriq Leonardo misses out on finals in 17th position with a time of 5.165 compared to 16th place finisher Shi Zechuan of China who clocked a 5.162.
The men’s Speed is so competitive that you need to break the previous magic mark of five seconds just to crack the top five of qualification.
Home nation China have the numerical advantage for medals with six finalists, but with the likes of Watson, former world record holder Kiromal Katibin of Indonesia and world champion Matteo Zurloni of Italy through, the finals are sure to be a spectacle.
Men’s finals competitors
- Samuel WATSON (USA) 4.76
- LONG Jianguo (CHN) 4.87
- Kiromal KATIBIN (INA) 4.96
- Zach HAMMER (USA) 4.96
- CHU Shouhong (CHN) 4.99
- ZHANG Dingfeng (CHN) 5.05
- Yaroslav TKACH (UKR) 5.09
- LI Xu (CHN) 5.10
- Amir MAIMURATOV (KAZ) 5.11
- Sebastian LUCKE (GER) 5.11
- Matteo ZURLONI (ITA) 5.11
- YANG Jie (CHN) 5.12
- Hryhorii ILCHYSHYN (UKR) 5.13
- Erik NOYA CARDONA (ESP) 5.13
- OMASA Ryo (JPN) 5.14
- SHI Zechuan (CHN) 5.16
Full men’s Speed results can be found here
The women’s finals line-up will be heavily dominated by the home nation as China have a massive ten of the last 16 into the final.
Odds will be well on the side of China for the podium places, but climbers like Polish Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Aleksandra Miroslaw, alongside teammate Natalia Kalucka, will be looking to spoil the party.
It’s South Korean climber Jeong Jimin who actually leads the way though, clocking the fastest qualification time of 6.36s with world champion Desak Dewi of Indonesia just behind with 6.37s. Jeong’s time is both a personal best and national record for South Korea.
The time needed to make finals for the women was 7.11s with Italy’s Beatrice Colli and China’s Xie Guizhen on the threshold.
Women’s finals competitors
- JEONG Jimin (KOR) 6.36
- Desak MADE RITA KUSUMA DEWI (INA) 6.37
- DENG Lijuan (CHN) 6.42
- Aleksandra MIROSLAW (POL) 6.43
- Emma HUNT (USA) 6.47
- Natalia KALUCKA (POL) 6.50
- ZHANG Shaoqin (CHN) 6.54
- MENG Shixue (CHN) 6.56
- ZHOU Yafei (CHN) 6.58
- QIN Yumei (CHN) 6.63
- YANG Mi (CHN) 6.74
- ZHANG Mengli (CHN) 6.94
- SHI Xinyue (CHN) 7.00
- YANG Feiyan (CHN) 7.10
- Beatrice COLLI (ITA) 7.11
- XIE Guiizhen (CHN) 7.11
Full women’s Speed results can be found here
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