In barely the blink of an eye, 16-year-old Chinese climber Zhao Yicheng had already slammed the buzzer — and rewritten the world record yet again.
At the World Climbing Series Wujiang 2026 on Sunday night, Zhao stormed to victory in the men's speed event with a time of 4.54 seconds, breaking the world record for the second time in a month — this time the mark he set himself — and edging out former record holder Samuel Watson in a much-anticipated semifinal showdown.
Watson, born in 2006, emerged during the Paris Olympic cycle as one of speed climbing's defining talents, becoming the first athlete to push the discipline into the "4.70-second era". Since the Paris Games, attention has increasingly shifted toward Zhao, who has already claimed three world youth titles and repeatedly produced times faster than previous world records.
Just weeks before arriving in Wujiang, a district of the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu province, Zhao had lowered Watson's mark to 4.58 seconds at the Asian Beach Games. In Wujiang, he went even faster.
Once the starting signal sounded, both climbers exploded up the wall almost simultaneously. Zhao produced the fastest reaction time of the day and maintained his advantage throughout the climb, stopping the clock at 4.54 seconds.
Yet Zhao insisted afterward that the climb was far from perfect.
"I think everyone performed at a high level in this competition, but my performance was definitely not perfect," he said. "I still saw a lot of details I can improve upon, and I feel I can climb even faster in the future."
Despite being labeled a "genius" by many observers, Zhao credited both talent and hard work for his rise.
"I have to admit that I do have talent, because talent makes my hard work more effective," he said. "But I also don't think I work any less hard than others. Talent gives me a higher starting point, while hard work allows me to go further."
The teenager said elite competition motivates rather than intimidates him.
"Honestly, without him, I probably wouldn't have climbed such a fast time today," Zhao said of Watson. "I didn't feel pressure facing him — more motivation than anything. My opponents don't actually affect me that much personally. I focus more on myself. Before competitions, I usually listen to music to help myself relax and get into the rhythm of the event."
Adding another layer of significance, Zhao's breakthrough performance came in his hometown of Suzhou. For years, he had attended the Wujiang event as a spectator. On Sunday night, he stood center stage as champion.
"From being a spectator to becoming an athlete, I've been watching the Wujiang competition for three or four straight years," Zhao said. "Last year, I was already looking forward to doing something on this stage. But, today, I actually felt more relaxed. Maybe people outside have certain expectations of me, but I think the enthusiasm of the crowd allowed me to completely be myself."
Watson, who eventually took bronze, also offered glowing praise for the teenager.
"He is undoubtedly the most talented speed climber I've ever seen," the 20-year-old said. "I knew I had to give 100 percent against him."
Watson revealed that the two climbers had already become familiar with each other and even chatted about basketball beside the podium before the medal ceremony.