Attention switched to Lead at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 with both the men and women completing their semi-finals
The showdown for the women’s Lead could be very interesting with Japan’s Ai Mori and South Korea’s Chaehyun Seo tied in first going into the final after both topping the semi-final route.
Seo has already shared a Lead gold this season in Asia this season when her and Great Britain’s Erin McNeice could not be separated at the World Climbing Series Wujiang at the start of the year. Could it happen again?
Both climbers will be joined by teammates in the final with Chaeyeong Kim joining Seo after a 52 hold climb for third and Mei Kotake in fifth with a 49 hold climb to join Mori. Kim did actually make it to the top of the route, but time had already run out so she was scored at the hold she reached when the clock hit zero.
Sitting between Kim and Kotake was last night’s Boulder winner, China’s Yuetong Zhang. Hitting hold 51, after her climb the Asian Games Boulder champion said: “I don’t think it was the hardest route, but I haven’t really trained Lead since Innsbruck. I got about hold 30 and then I tried climbing fast and I forgot a clip.
“There was also a few hold that were a little smaller than I thought, but the friction was good on them. Maybe I could have fought a bit more but there wasn’t really a need to.”
With a gold medal already secured, and with another discipline to contest, how did Zhang celebrate her win?
“I only ate dinner, but it was too late so I could only have a McDonald’s. I just took a few pictures with some friends and my coach. I will try to do something before I go to Salt Lake City.”
Sitting in joint sixth position were the two Indonesian climbers Sukma Lintang Cahyani and Alma Ariella Tsany who reached hold 39+, one above China’s Zhilu Luo who completes the final lineup in eighth from her hold 38+ climb.
There will be nine men contesting the Lead final with a three-way tie in seventh place. Top of the standings though are the two Japanese climbers, Neo Suzuki in first and Satone Yoshida in second. Suzuki climbed to hold 43, and Yoshida made hold 39+.
Indonesia’s Putra Tri Ramadani has had a great World Climbing Series this year, and he is looking good to add some more silverware to his collection after progressing in third on hold 36.
The two South Korean climbers are also through to the final in fourth and fifth. Dohyun Lee made hold 33+ and teammate Hyunseung Noh made hold 31, both making it past a tricky section around the 20-hold mark.
After making it past that section Noh smiled to the crowd knowing he could breathe a bit easier for a little. Talking about the section Noh said: “I think the low part round the 20 mark was easy, but then some campusing moves, and foot holds were really bad and made my body position a high angle. Then it was a tricky move. After I did the hard part, my heart was beating a bit more normal.”
As for the final tomorrow: “I just want to put my whole effort into the final tomorrow and see what happens.”
China’s Junzhe Hu also made it past the tricky section to reach hold 28 for sixth, and a place in the final.
Indonesia’s Raviandi Ramadhan, Thailand’s Auswin Aueareechit and China’s Yufei Pan all fell at hold 23, but all progressed to the final in joint-seventh.
Climbing at the Asian Games will come to a close with the finals of the men’s and women’s Lead competitions on day 5.
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