Colli hoping to carry European glory to Guiyang

After a summer break in the World Climbing Series, Lead returned with Janja Garnbret and Neo Suzuki taking gold medals in Slovenia – but now it is the turn of the Speed climbers to grace the stage with two events in quick succession in China.

The first stop is Guiyang, and there are a couple of new things that can be noted. We once again will see the four-lane Speed wall which means relay events as well as the individual, and there will be a new European champions in action.

For the men Petr Zemliakov wears the crown, and for the women it’s Italy’s Beatrice Colli.

Catching up with the new champ, Colli has taken positives from her performance in Laval at the European Championship event, and rightly so:

“This victory has made my belief grow. Now I believe harder than ever that I can achieve my goals.

“I realised once again that our mind is the strongest energy source we have and we need to train it every single day, just like our bodies. And of course, I feel relieved. I’m not going to lie; I was struggling to find the confidence to show up as my highest self.”

It was another French city, and also climber, which have helped Colli start to believe a bit more:

“Giulia [Randi] and Capucine [Viglione] – they got silver and bronze in Chamonix – were both such a push for me and I really have to thank them for showing me that it is possible. They opened a vision in me. From Chamonix on, I told myself I am going to win in Laval.”

Colli also set a personal record in Laval, and she will need to drop it even further with the women’s six second barrier now broken:

“I will get quicker; I won’t stop until I finish that wall faster than everyone.”

Guiyang is the first of a double-header in China with everyone relocating to Chongqing a week later, and climbers have different feelings when it comes to quick turnarounds in comps, but Colli is a fan:

“I love that we will be competing straight away, I’m excited and I feel good. The preparation for Laval was hard, I suffered and I put a lot of work in, now I’m ready to see what my body and mind, together, will do.”

The Speed climbers first saw the four-lane Speed wall in Krakow this year, and they will once again be taking on the bigger field of play in China:

“I think the four-lane format allows us to be more consistent and less exposed to mistakes. We know we have more chances to go fast because of the four qualification runs, and this is such a precious feeling. Although I believe this format is less mental than regular speed competitions, which can be good for some, but also less interesting for others.”

The four lane boasts the individual, men’s and women’s relay and the mixed relay and the Speed climbers have embraced the new dynamics it offers on the world stage:

“Relays are the most fun thing ever. Training for the relays allows me to have pure fun and most important thing, to go fast. They really help me to get through the training sessions way easier because of the adrenaline boost I get from the challenge.

“Also, now that relays are officially part of the world circuit, I’m developing the real sense of teamwork, which is giving me so much passion, love and excitement for the sport.”

After a new title and the challenge of the relay’s, what does Colli see as a success in Guiyang?

“My goal is to live qualification rounds with a smile and clear mind. Most of the times I struggle to find the right balance between pressure and adrenaline, and I can’t find my rhythm. I love competing because I feel light, I feel like my muscles are ten times stronger than I usually feel, I feel like I’m flying… So, my goal is to fly high.”

In the women’s competition, both Randi and Viglione that Colli mentioned will be in action with Ukraine’s Polina Khalkevych also flying the European flag in a strong senior debut year that has included a silver medal from Madrid.

But this is China, and the home team always bring a strong squad to Speed comps led by Olympic medallist Lijuan Deng who teamed up with Yafei Zhou in Krakow to set the women’s relay world record – watch out for both in the individual and team events.

There’s also Indonesia’s Rajiah Sallsabillah and South Korea’s Jimin Jeong who have had podium success on the world stage.

And let’s not forget Emma Hunt. The USA climber broke the world record posting a 5.99s time in Krakow. She also set a world record time in the mixed relay alongside Sam Watson who will once again continue his rivalry with current men’s world record holder Yicheng Zhao in Guiyang.

Last year’s winner in Guiyang was Shouhong Chu, and he will try to defend his title in the individual. He will need to find a new partner for the men’s relay though as his gold medal winning teammate in Krakow, Jianguo Long, will not compete.

Indonesia’s Raharjati Nursamsa took a bronze medal in Krakow behind Watson and Zhao and will be hoping for another podium. His teammate Antasyafi Robby Al Hilmi has two silver medals in the 2026 series so he will be another to watch out for.

There’s competition from all corners in the men’s comp with the likes of Japan’s Ryo Omasa and Germany’s Leander Carmanns in a field that includes former world champion Matteo Zurloni of Italy and former youth world champion Julian David of New Zealand.

There’s lots of medals up for grabs in Guiyang, and the competition will be fierce. The first four lane competition produced a host of world records, and everyone will be looking for the same again in China.

SCHEDULE

Friday 11 September

10:15-11:55 Men’s Speed Qualification
12:05-13:30 Women’s Speed Qualification
19:30-20:40 Men’s and Women’s Speed Final

Saturday 12 September

11:25-12:25 Mixed Speed Relay Qualification
19:30-20:25 Mixed Speed Relay Final

Sunday 13 September

11:00-12:00 Men’s Speed Relay Qualification
12:50-13:30 Women’s Speed Relay Qualification
20:00-21:25 Men’s and Women’s Speed Relay Finals