On the 5th, the atmosphere at the National Mountaineering Training Base in Huairou, Beijing, was exceptionally tense as the selection trials for the Chinese team competing in the 2013 IFSC Youth World Climbing Championships were held there. This was the first time in China that a dedicated competition was used to select athletes for the Youth World Championships. As a result, six athletes including Chén Ruìzhì stood out from the challenges of both the difficulty and speed climbing events. They will join Wáng Yáng and Lǐ Guāngdōng, who have already qualified, to represent China at the Climbing Youth World Championships to be held from August 15 to 19 in Shaughnessy, Vancouver, Canada.
The domestic selection trials were divided into three age groups: junior men and women (18–19 years old), youth A group (16–17 years old), and youth B group (14–15 years old), all featuring both difficulty and speed climbing events. The difficulty event used the lead climbing format with two routes, and the average score of the two routes determined the final difficulty score. The speed climbing event used an international standard route, with preliminary and final rounds—top eight from the preliminaries advanced to the finals. Individual rankings in both the difficulty and speed events were converted into corresponding points, and the sum of points from both events determined the athletes’ final scores.
According to the selection criteria: the top-ranked male and female athlete in each group (a total of 6 athletes) earned qualification for the Youth World Championships. After a full day of competition, Chén Ruìzhì, Chén Zhìxuán, Páng Rùnlín, Jiǎng Róng, Niú Dí, and Chén Zhuóyíng secured their spots on the team by ranking first in their respective groups.
They will join Wáng Yáng and Lǐ Guāngdōng, who had previously qualified, to represent China. Wáng Yáng achieved a triple crown at the 2012 Asian Championships, Asian Indoor Games, and Asian Cup, while Lǐ Guāngdōng was the men’s champion at the 2012 Asian Championships.
Cáo Róngwǔ [Weibo], head coach of the Chinese team, explained that after the team members for the Youth World Championships are confirmed, the next phase will involve preparation for the competition, along with targeted training to address issues revealed during the selection trials. A one-month intensive training camp is planned from July 15 to August 15. He pointed out: “In all events, our male athletes across the three age groups show strong potential in speed climbing and are expected to achieve good results at the Youth World Championships.”
Dīng Xiánghuá, head of the Climbing and Ice Climbing Department of the Chinese Mountaineering Association, stated that youth are the future of China’s climbing movement, and the focus of work is on popularization and improvement among young people.
“This year, we will also carry out larger-scale, broader, longer-term, and more innovative promotional activities—expanding from 16 cities last year to 40, increasing promotion sites to 50, and extending the promotion period from two weeks last year to 4 to 11 months, covering most of the year. We hope to further enhance the physical fitness and climbing skills of Chinese youth,” said Dīng Xiánghuá.