China celebrated double gold at the IFSC World Championships Guiyang 2024 taking the top step in both the men’s and women’s U18 Speed competitions.

Local climber Meng Shixue led a host nation 1-2-3 in the women’s while Chu Shouhong got the crowd going securing gold in the mens.

With Meng, Yang Feiyan and Huang Xinyi all making it successfully through to the final four alongside Japan’s Koyamatsu Ren, the home crowd knew they would be celebrating a minimum of two medals in the women’s competition.

When Yang beat her Japanese rival in the semi-final, the three Chinese climbers knew they would be fighting for colours, and it was local Meng who was a step above first beating Huang and then keeping her cool as teammate Yang fell in the final.

Meng said: “I’m excited. I really feel like I got the gold because I’m local to here and had to win it at home. In qualification I kept a little back and tried to keep calm and make sure I made it to the finals, and then from there it was about winning at home.”

Huang went on to beat Koyamatsu 7.42 to 9.77 in the bronze medal match.

With the final four of Chu, USA’s Michael Hom, Japan’s Tabuchi Motonori and Indonesia’s Antasyafi Robby Al Hilmi in the mens, the semi-finals ended up being nervy affairs.

Chu set up a final with Hom with Tabuchi falling, and Hom made it through with Robby Al Hilmi making a false start. The big and small finals were both run though.

Chu won his gold with a time of 5.23 compared to Hom’s 5.74 and after said: “Today is a result of long preparation and training for this competition. I feel I was at my level today, and in the future, I want to move into the adult competitions and win there as well.”

Tabuchi posted a time of 6.25 to claim his bronze as Robby Al Hilmi had another mishap with a slip for 9.10 not enough.

The Speed competition at the 2024 Youth Worlds will continue tomorrow with the U16 category.

Full results for the Youth Worlds can be found here - https://ifsc.hopp.to/YW24results