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[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The World Climbing Series Keqiao 2026 concluded on May 3 at the Yangshan Climbing Center in Keqiao district, Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, following three days of competition in the bouldering discipline. A total of 142 athletes from more than 30 countries and regions competed for podium positions in both the men's and women's events.

France's Zelia Avezou secured the first World Climbing Series boulder gold medal of her career, delivering a composed performance amid strong expectations surrounding leading contenders.

With attention focused on double Olympic champion Janja Garnbret—who was pursuing her 50th gold—and her rivalry with world silver medalist Oriane Bertone, Avezou maintained a steady approach throughout the final.

"Honestly, I'm just wondering what has happened. I think I will fully realize later maybe," Avezou said after confirming her victory. Reflecting on her strategy, she added, "I just took it one boulder at a time. I thought the boulders were pretty easy apart from the first one, and the last would be really important."

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In the men's competition, Japan's Sorato Anraku, the 19-year-old reigning world boulder champion, topped a highly competitive field that included Lee Do-hyun, Mejdi Schalck, Pan Yufei, and Tomoa Narasaki.

"Winning at a World Series is never easy. Every competition comes down to very fine margins," Anraku said, describing the season opener as mentally demanding.

He also credited his competitors for elevating his performance level. The victory marked his sixth career boulder title and his second consecutive season-opening win in Keqiao, where he has now reached the podium three times.

Following its successful hosting of the climbing events at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Keqiao district has leveraged this legacy to steadily develop a sustainable "Climbing+" model and set a benchmark for integrated sports development.

As the world's first venue fully equipped for competition functions and dedicated to the long-term hosting of international climbing events, the Yangshan Climbing Center has staged more than 10 international and national competitions, including World Cup events and the China Climbing League.

In doing so, it has built a mature operational and service system while establishing a distinctive presence within the global climbing landscape.

In recent years, Keqiao has further advanced the integration of sports and education, innovating talent development pathways for competitive climbing and actively promoting initiatives such as "Climbing into Schools", enabling the sport to take root among younger generations.

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At the same time, the district has introduced high-level coaching resources, mobilized broader social participation in sports development, and established a comprehensive talent identification and progression system, continuously contributing "Keqiao Strength" to China's climbing program.

Having hosted the Climbing World Cup for three consecutive years as part of its ambition to build an "international climbing event highland", Keqiao also demonstrated a dynamic model of sports-driven cultural tourism during this year's Labor Day holiday.

Sports enthusiasts and family travelers planned their visits in advance, booking event tickets and nearby accommodations online, driving sustained demand for hotels and homestays across the district and surrounding scenic areas, where availability became increasingly limited.

Visitors from neighboring regions—including Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Jiangsu province—traveled to Shaoxing during the holiday period, combining the viewing of elite climbing competitions with visits to local landmarks such as Keqiao Ancient Town, Keyan Scenic Area, and Cangqiao Straight Street.

The result was an integrated experience that blended sporting spectacle with leisure and cultural tourism, showcasing the distinctive appeal of Jiangnan's historic water towns.

China fielded a team of seven male and seven female climbers. The team delivered a strong performance in qualification, with five athletes—four men and one woman—advancing to the semi-finals. Two Chinese male climbers progressed to the final, marking the country's best result to date at a Climbing World Cup-level event.

The competition was organized by International Federation of Sport Climbing, and co-organized by the Mountaineering Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Mountaineering Association, the Shaoxing Municipal Sports Bureau, and the People's Government of Keqiao District. It was supported by the Keqiao District Education and Sports Bureau and Zhejiang Jinkeqiao Culture and Tourism Group Co Ltd.

liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn