The photo shows Zhang Yuexiong finally succeeding in reaching the top of the route to complete the competition. Photo by Anna
China News Service, Ziyun, Sept. 25 (Reporter Anna) “Well done, Tongtong!” Amid cheers, the 9-year-old girl from Shenzhen, Zhang Yuexiong, finally made it up the most difficult fourth route—the Route 4—of the Open Bouldering Competition during the 2013 China Getu International Climbing Festival Open Bouldering Championship (Public Group Women's Preliminary). She ranked ninth in the preliminary and advanced to the semifinals.
After finishing the competition, Zhang Yuexiong changed out of her climbing shoes, put on her outerwear, packed her chalk bag, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and headed to the judges’ area to submit her scorecard. Having started learning to climb at age 4, she now has five years of climbing experience under her belt, and fellow climbers affectionately call her “Tongtong.”
“I was 4 years and 8 months old when I saw a climbing wall at the entrance of Decathlon and thought it was really fun, so I asked my family to let me learn,” said Zhang Yuexiong, who is currently in the fourth grade of elementary school. For the sake of this hobby, she spends four or five days a week training at the climbing gym. “Each session lasts about four to five hours, right after school in the afternoon,” she said.
“Interest is Tongtong’s greatest teacher. Since she started climbing, she has maintained an extremely high enthusiasm for it,” Zhang Yuexiong’s father, Zhang Jiandong, told reporters. With that interest and passion, Zhang Yuexiong has been “climbing” for five years and has won multiple championships in various climbing competitions, including double titles in both difficulty and speed at the National Youth Climbing Championships.
This Open Bouldering Championship marks Zhang Yuexiong’s third time competing alongside adults. At 1.33 meters tall, she looks particularly “petite” among female competitors who often stand over 1.7 meters. “Except for the fourth route, where her height posed some limitations, she climbed the other three routes quite smoothly,” Zhang Jiandong explained to reporters.
“Tongtong finished on her sixth try. She really thinks things through, constantly trying different moves to complete the route. Her height doesn’t limit her at all—she’s amazing!” one climber at the scene couldn’t help but praise Zhang Yuexiong after seeing her six attempts on the fourth route.
Three Spanish climbers were also deeply impressed by Tongtong’s performance. “She is a very good climber, and her climbing is full of passion,” said Spanish climber Shirleys Noriega. She added that climbing is well-developed in Spain now, and there are also some young climbers around 10 years old emerging.
According to the organizers, the climbers and enthusiasts participating in this competition are generally young, with high school and university students almost becoming the main participants. “There are many kids at the climbing gym where Tongtong trains, the youngest being just over a year old,” Zhang Jiandong told reporters. As climbing becomes more and more popular, more and more young children are beginning to experience the joy of the sport.
Spanish climber Marco Jubes is quite supportive of the early introduction to climbing. “Starting to learn climbing at a young age means that when you grow up and your body gets stronger, you’ll already have richer climbing experience. That’s actually really good.”
As for little Tongtong, becoming a professional climber isn’t her future dream. “When you grow up, do you want to be a professional climber or do something else?” The 9-year-old Tongtong tilted her head and thought for a moment after hearing the reporter’s question, then said she’d choose the second option. “I haven’t decided what I want to do when I grow up yet, but climbing is just a hobby,” Tongtong told the reporter earnestly.