Zhao and Deng complete China's Speed double in Santiago
Zhao Yicheng claimed his first Series title, Emma Hunt secured her second consecutive women’s crown
China completed a golden double in the Speed finals at the World Climbing Series Santiago 2026, with Zhao Yicheng and Deng Lijuan triumphing in the men’s and women’s events, respectively.
For Zhao, the victory was particularly significant: the world record holder opened and closed the Speed Series 2026 with gold medals, adding the season title to his achievements after a close battle with Japan’s Omasa Ryo.
In the women’s competition, Deng defeated USA’s Emma Hunt in the gold medal race, but Hunt had already done enough to secure her second consecutive Speed Series title.
ZHAO CLAIMS GOLD AND FIRST SERIES TITLE
Zhao Yicheng delivered when it mattered most, defeating Indonesia’s Raharjati Nursamsa in the men’s gold medal race with a time of 4.74 seconds. Nursamsa stopped the clock at 5.06 after missing the finish pad on his first touch, handing the Chinese climber a decisive victory.
The result completed a remarkable season for Zhao, who also won gold at the opening Speed Series event of the year in Wujiang, China. His second victory of the campaign secured his first-ever men’s Speed Series title, capping a season in which he established himself as one of the discipline’s leading performers.
Zhao said: "I feel great. This competition has been dramatic, I faced some challenged in the qualification round, my ranking was lower than usual because I fell in my first climb and I was very nervous in the second one.
"In the final I just wanted to enjoy the competition and I'm satisfied with my performance."
Japan’s Omasa Ryo, Zhao’s closest rival in the season-long title race, finished third in Santiago after beating China’s Chu Shouhong in the bronze medal race. Although Omasa could not prevent Zhao from claiming the overall crown, his podium finish ensured he closed the season as runner-up in the Speed Series Ranking presented by Euroholds.
The final men’s standings saw Zhao finish on 4,485 points, ahead of Omasa on 4,290, and Nursamsa on 3,810.
DENG TAKES WOMEN’S GOLD, HUNT RETAINS TITLE
Deng Lijuan secured China’s second gold medal of the day by defeating Emma Hunt in a high-profile women’s gold medal race featuring two of the four women in the field with personal bests below 6.10 seconds.
The gold medal race did not go entirely to plan for Hunt, who slipped a few moves from the finish. Deng crossed the line in 6.38 seconds, while the American finished in 6.98, giving the Chinese climber the victory.
"I'm very happy for this gold medal, my season didn't start very well, but I finally found myself in the last few events," commented Deng.
Despite missing out on the gold medal in Santiago, Hunt had already secured the biggest prize of her season. The US climber retained her women’s Speed Series title, becoming the first woman since France’s Anouck Jaubert in 2017 and 2018 to win the overall crown in consecutive seasons.
Hunt finished the campaign with 4,441 points, ahead of Ukraine’s Polina Khalkevych on 3,620, and Indonesia’s Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi on 3,450.
ROTHFORK CELEBRATES CAREER-FIRST PODIUM
One of the other highlights of the women’s final came from USA’s Isis Rothfork, who claimed the first podium finish of her career.
Rothfork faced China’s Mou Yuju in the bronze medal race and prevailed in 7.32 seconds, with Mou finishing in 7.41. The result gave the American a memorable end to the season, adding a career milestone to a final that also featured the two fastest women in the field battling for gold.
With China celebrating a double victory, Zhao claiming his first overall Speed title, and Hunt making history with a second consecutive crown, the Santiago finals brought the Speed Series 2026 to a fitting conclusion.
NEXT UP
With the World Climbing Series 2026 wrapped up in Santiago, two international events remain on the calendar: the World Climbing Para Series Gunsan 2026, taking place from 29 to 30 October, and the World Climbing Para Series Fukuoka 2026, scheduled for 5 to 6 November.
News and updates about all World Climbing events will be available on the World Climbing website, and on the Federation’s digital channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, and exclusively for the Chinese audience, Douyin, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu.
