Chinese teenager Zhao Yicheng made history on home soil by shattering the men’s speed climbing world record during the 2026 Asian Beach Games. The 16-year-old clocked an astonishing 4.58 seconds in the second round of the preliminaries, eclipsing the previous mark of 4.64 seconds set by American Olympic medalist Sam Watson.

Zhao’s record-breaking performance was part of a dominant run through the tournament:

• Preliminaries: He initially tied the Asian record with a time of 4.73 seconds before unleashing his world-record pace of 4.58 seconds in the second round.
• Knockout Rounds: He successfully defeated Shin Euncheol (South Korea) and Aphiwit Limpanich-pakdee (Thailand) to reach the semifinals.
• The Final: After edging out compatriot Chu Shouhong in the semis, Zhao secured the gold medal in the final after Indonesia’s Antasyafi Robby Al Hilmi was disqualified for a false start.

The host nation also showcased its strength in the women’s category, securing all four semifinal spots. Zhou Yafei captured the gold medal by defeating Olympic silver medalist Deng Lijuan by a narrow margin of 0.08 seconds. Zhang Shaoqin claimed the bronze medal after topping Qin Yumei.

Zhao’s historic feat serves as a massive momentum builder ahead of the World Climbing Series, which is scheduled to begin in Keqiao, China, from May 8 to 10. With sport climbing continuing its rapid global growth since its Olympic debut in Tokyo, Zhao’s performance cements his status as a rising global superstar in the discipline.