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By Hoang Nguyen  April 29, 2026 | 01:23 am PT
China's Zhao Yicheng shattered the men's speed climbing world record on Tuesday, scaling the wall in 4.58 seconds during the 2026 Asian Beach Games on home soil.
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Chinese speed climber Zhao Yicheng. Photo by Instagram/@zycyzczyc2009 |
The teenager eclipsed the previous world record of 4.64 seconds, set by American Sam Watson, a Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, at the 2025 IFSC World Cup in Bali, Indonesia.
Zhao, who dressed in orange and black, drew an ovation from the crowd for his amazing pace during the preliminary round, according to Olympics.com.
His record-breaking performance serves as a strong preparation ahead of the upcoming World Climbing Series, which kicks off in Keqiao, China, from May 8 to 10.
Sport climbing evolved from traditional rock climbing and has experienced rapid global growth.
The sport made its official Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games after first appearing at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.
