Japan, Austria and South Korea shared the four gold medals as the Under 17 and Under 19 Lead finals concluded in Italy
The World Climbing Youth Championship in Arco, Italy, awarded four Lead titles to Japan’s Hayashi Arisa and Nakata Kazuki in the Under 17 category, and to Austria’s Anika Deubler and South Korea’s Jung Chanjin in the Under 19 category.
HAYASHI TAKES HER SECOND TITLE, NAKATA STEPS UP
Hayashi claimed the women’s U17 title with a score of 45, narrowly ahead of South Korea’s Kim Ha Been, who reached 44+. China’s Li Meini completed the podium with 35.
It is a second Youth World title for Hayashi, who also won gold in Guiyang, China, in 2024. The Japanese athlete had also earned bronze at last year’s Youth World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
In the men’s U17 final, Nakata Kazuki topped the standings on 47+, with South Korea’s Lee Hayool taking silver on 42+ and Japan’s Saiki Taketo securing bronze on 40+. Nakata’s victory marks his first Youth World title, improving on the silver medal he won in Helsinki last year.
For the women's U17 Lead complete results click here.
For the men's U17 Lead complete results click here.
DEUBLER BREAKS THROUGH, JUNG STAYS UNDEFEATED
The women’s U19 final produced an exceptionally close contest, with all three medallists scoring 34+. Austria’s Anika Deubler took gold, ahead of Ukraine’s Rafael Kazbekova in second place, and Japan’s Oda Natsumi in third place.
Deubler made her World Climbing Series debut in Innsbruck, Austria, in 2024, where she finished 34th, also competing at this year's event in Prague and Innsbruck. Her victory in Arco is her first medal at a World Climbing Youth Championship.
South Korea’s Jung won the men’s U19 title with 48+, followed by home favourite Andrea Ludovico Chelleris of Italy on 45+. Japan’s Hamada Ryusei completed the podium in third place with 40+.
Jung’s win is his second Youth world title from two appearances at the event, having also won in Guiyang two years ago.
For the women's U19 Lead complete results click here.
For the men's U19 Lead complete results click here.
MEDAL TABLE
The provisional medal table of the World Climbing Youth Championship Arco 2026 is as follows:
| NATION | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTAL |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| South Korea | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Austria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Italy | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ukraine | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| China | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
NEXT UP
The World Climbing Youth Championship Arco 2026 will continue tomorrow with the U17 and U19 Speed events.
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.