World champion Zhong Qixin “tests the waters” on the climbing wall.
He won China’s first world championship gold medal in the sport and set a new world record, achieving the feat in just three years after entering the climbing scene. His name is Zhong Qixin, hailing from a rural village in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, and now an athlete and coach for the climbing team at the Ningbo Sports Team. With the possibility of climbing being included in the 2020 Olympics, Zhong hopes to promote the sport and nurture young talent in Ningbo.
He was spotted by reporters at the 2013 National Outdoor Sports Games and China Outdoor Sports Festival.
Rock climbing becomes a new highlight in Ningbo sports
A decade ago, the Ningbo Sports Team made a bold decision to introduce women’s boxing, becoming one of the first to take the plunge. In 2009, their patience paid off when women’s boxing was added to the Olympic program. At the 2010 Asian Games women’s boxing competition, Ningbo athletes swept all the gold medals. At the 2012 London Olympics, athletes trained by the Ningbo Sports Team won a silver, a bronze, and a fifth-place finish.
Now, the Ningbo Sports Team is seeking new growth areas for sports development, and rock climbing has become their top consideration. They quickly took action by signing three national climbing team members to Ningbo. They are Zhong Qixin, men’s speed world champion in climbing, He Cuilian, women’s speed world champion, and Zhong Lincai, men’s speed national champion.
Currently, rock climbing is fairly popular in mass sports, but in competitive fields, only the speed climbing event has an advantage, while difficulty climbing and bouldering have yet to break into the top 16 in top-tier competitions.
Zhu Qun, Party branch secretary of the Ningbo Sports Team, said, “Rock climbing is a new growth point for our team’s project development. If it gets into the Olympics, we will focus on building a talent pipeline. If not, it will become a key area for promoting the sport among youth and the general public.”
World champion makes first appearance in Ningbo
The National Outdoor Sports Games were especially lively. Considering an international competition in mid-May, Zhong Qixin only participated as a judge this time. The other two Ningbo Sports Team members, Zhong Lincai and He Cuilian, both competed in the speed climbing events.
As an outdoor enthusiast, Zhong Qixin has dark skin, a closely cropped crew cut dyed a subtle brownish-yellow, and when he smiles, two small canine teeth show. He said that although he is now an athlete and coach with Ningbo residency, this was his first time visiting. “I signed the contract at the end of last year, and I’ve been training in Beijing or competing elsewhere. I took this opportunity during the outdoor event to come check things out.”
As one of China’s first professional rock climbers, why did he choose to sign with Ningbo? Zhong Qixin simply said “fate.” If climbing is selected for the Olympics, he can contribute to the development of a talent pipeline for the Ningbo Sports Team’s climbing program and fully promote the sport among youth in Ningbo. Regarding the possibility of climbing being included in the Olympics, Zhong believes there’s about a 30% chance.
In April 2007, Zhong Qixin was selected for the national rock climbing training team. In Spain, he made history by winning China’s first world championship gold medal in the sport and setting a new world record in speed climbing, breaking the European dominance in the global climbing scene. Since then, Zhong has been unstoppable, winning four consecutive world championship titles in speed climbing.
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Earlier this year, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board announced the final 25 sports for the 2020 Summer Olympics, and wrestling was not included. It will compete with seven other sports—baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, rock climbing, squash, water skiing, and wushu—for one spot in the 2020 Olympics. Based on international presence and popularity, rock climbing and roller sports have slightly better chances. The eight sports will vie for three additional spots in Russia in May, with a final decision on the one selected sport to be made in September.