The 2026 IFSC Climbing World Cup (Wujiang Fenhu, China) concluded on the evening of May 10 at the Jiangsu Wujiang Fenhu Cultural and Sports Center after three days of competition. The event featured two disciplines—difficulty and speed—attracting 223 athletes from 34 countries and regions.
In the men’s speed event, 17-year-old Chinese rising star Zhao Yicheng, competing in his first senior World Cup, shattered his own world record for the second time in two weeks. Just days after setting a 4.58-second mark at the Asian Sand Games, he clocked an incredible 4.54 seconds in the final to claim the gold medal, improving his time by 0.04 seconds. This marked the first speed stop of the 2026 World Cup, and overall, speed climbers demonstrated a significant leap in competitiveness. For example, the 16th-place qualifier in the women’s speed final improved from 7.18 seconds at last year’s World Championships in Seoul to 6.67 seconds—a gain of 0.51 seconds. In the men’s category, the 16th-place qualifier improved from 5.07 seconds to 4.94 seconds, a 0.13-second improvement. China fielded a team of 10 male and 10 female athletes, with 5 men and 6 women advancing to the finals after the qualification rounds.
In the difficulty finals, the competition was marked by youthful talent. Aside from 27-year-old Janja Garnbret, all male and female finalists were born in 2000 or later. In the women’s difficulty final, 18-year-old American climber Anouck Sanders made a dramatic last five-second lunge to match Garnbret’s 43+ score, securing gold thanks to her superior semifinal complete-climb advantage. After missing gold at the Boulder World Cup in Keqiao, “The Queen” Janja Garnbret once again settled for silver, failing to claim her 50th World Cup win. On the men’s side, 21-year-old Nao Suzuki of Japan took the lead with a 44+ top on his first attempt, and after all other challengers failed to surpass it, he claimed a dominant victory. Pre-competition favorites Tomoa Narasaki and Yoshiyuki Ogata both failed to reach the podium.
Meanwhile, Chinese climber Hu Junzhe delivered a solid performance, advancing to the semifinals after strong qualification runs, keeping China’s hopes alive in the men’s competition. The event showcased the rising depth and intensity of global climbing, with the next World Cup stop set to continue the season.
