New records, international debuts, and dramatic races defined the Under 17 and Under 19 Speed events at Arco 2026
Mila Piatek of New Zealand, along with China’s Zhou Mingyi, Huang Xinyi, and Shi Yanze claimed the four Speed titles as the World Climbing Youth Championship continued in Arco, Italy.
PIATEK'S RECORD RUN, ZHOU WINS ON DEBUT
Fifteen-year-old Mila Piatek set a new Oceania record of 7.70 seconds in her quarter-final race before securing the women’s U17 gold in 7.77, after Thailand’s Kanyanat Arsakit fell halfway up the wall. Arsakit took silver and China’s Chen Nuo bronze.
In the men’s U17 final, Zhou Mingyi won gold on his international debut, clocking 5.45 seconds against France’s Minh Long Nguyen-Angelot on 5.72. Germany’s Moritz Müller completed the podium in third place.
For the women's U17 Speed complete results click here.
For the men's U17 Speed complete results click here.
HUANG CAPITALISES, SHI WINS DRAMATIC FINAL
China’s Huang won the women’s U19 final in 7.51, taking advantage of an early slip from Ukraine’s Polin Khalkevych, who claimed silver. Milana Melnichenko, competing as a Neutral Athlete, earned bronze.
The men’s U19 final between Shi Yanze and Indonesia’s Haddan Malik Baqmuhyibar went down to the wire, with both climbers slipping near the top of the route. Shi reached the timing pad first in 6.07, ahead of Baqmuhyibar’s 6.21, while Switzerland’s Gilles Meili took bronze after recording the only sub-five-second time of the night – 4.90 seconds – in the bronze medal race.
For the women's U19 Speed complete results click here.
For the men's U19 Speed complete results click here.
MEDAL TABLE
The provisional medal table of the event after the Lead and Speed competiitons have been contested is as follows:
| NATION | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTAL |
| China | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| South Korea | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Austria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ukraine | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| France | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Indonesia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Italy | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Thailand | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| AIN | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Germany | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 |
NEXT UP
The World Climbing Youth Championship Arco 2026 will continue tomorrow with the U17 Boulder qualifications.
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