The bouldering competition was held in Hall C of the 2013 Asia Outdoor Trade Show. It was divided into professional and open categories, with 20 male and 20 female athletes in the professional division, and 35 male and 25 female participants in the open division. The professional group consisted of athletes selected by the Chinese Mountaineering Association, featuring top climbers from both China and abroad, while the open group was open to climbing enthusiasts from around the world.
Gao Jinping, deputy judge of the competition, noted that athletes from eight countries took part, including all of China’s top ten boulderers. During the event, climbers from various nations took turns showcasing their skills—climbing and leaping repeatedly as they sweated it out on the walls, making for a tense and exciting competition. The women’s professional division was particularly eye-catching. With neat ponytails, slender builds, and strong grip strength, these were some of Johnson "Alexandra’s strengths, while China’s Jiang Rong, also highly skilled, finished just a small margin behind in second place. The open category was relatively more “thrilling,” with several female enthusiasts taking on high-difficulty walls. Some unfortunately slipped after missing holds but quickly got back up from the safety mats to continue, drawing gasps from the audience and bursts of cheers, encouragement, and applause.
The men’s professional final champion was China’s Ma Zida, who was the national men’s champion in both difficulty and bouldering in the 2012 National Climbing Series overall rankings. True to expectations, he smoothly completed all four bouldering routes during the competition and ultimately claimed the title. In an interview, Ma Zida said he started climbing at age 13 and has been involved in the sport for eight years. Influenced by his father, who is an avid climber, Ma chose this path. When asked why he loves climbing, he said it’s a challenging sport that gives a great sense of accomplishment upon reaching the top, while also boosting self-confidence. Of course, climbing is tough—he admitted to having put in a lot of effort, though he’s lost count of how much sweat and hardship he’s endured. After the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, he lived in Chengdu where there were no suitable places to climb, and he had to bike 60–70 kilometers every day just to reach a climbing spot.
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