Kazuki Nakata, Arisa Hayashi, Anika Deubler and Chanjin Jung claim the first four world titles of the World Climbing Youth Championship
The third day of the World Climbing Youth Championship Arco 2026 saw the first four world titles of the event awarded, all in the Lead discipline.
Following two intense days of qualification, the Arco Climbing Stadium moved into the decisive stages of the competition with the U17 and U19 semifinals and finals.
A large and passionate crowd followed every round of the competition, packing the venue for the finals and creating an electric atmosphere as the young athletes took on their decisive climbs.
U17 SEMIFINALS AND FINALS
The U17 semifinals featured spectacular and highly selective routes, designed by the international route-setting team to identify the eight best athletes who would compete for the world titles.
Japan dominated the men’s semifinal, placing three athletes inside the top four. Kazuki Nakata finished in first place, followed by his teammate Taketo Saiki, while Switzerland’s Yanik Chassain placed third ahead of Japan’s Haku Ishida.
The men’s final confirmed Nakata’s leadership. The Japanese climber moved decisively through the headwall and reached hold 47+, finishing well ahead of his closest rivals and securing the men’s U17 Lead world title.
South Korea’s Hayool Lee claimed the silver medal with 42+, while Taketo Saiki took bronze after reaching hold 40+. Haku Ishida recorded the same score, but Saiki’s stronger result in the semifinal gave him the final place on the podium.
South Korea’s Jungyoon Choi finished fifth, followed by China’s Zerun Mu, Switzerland’s Yanik Chassain and South Korea’s Jeehan Yoo.
The best performance in the women’s semifinal also came from a Japanese athlete, with Asuha Akiyama finishing ahead of China’s Yijing Lu and Meini Li.
The women’s final featured a close battle between Japan’s Arisa Hayashi and South Korea’s Ha Been Kim. Hayashi progressed one move further, reaching hold 45+ to claim the women’s U17 Lead world title.
Kim stopped at hold 44+ and secured the silver medal, while China’s Meini Li completed the podium after reaching hold 35.
South Korea’s Yun Seo Noh placed fourth, ahead of Switzerland’s Amélie Kägi, Japan’s Asuha Akiyama and Chinese athletes Yijing Lu and Chenxi Jiang.
U19 SEMIFINALS AND FINALS
The women’s U19 semifinal delivered an extremely demanding selection from the opening stages. A double-handed jump halfway through the route became the first major obstacle, before another difficult sequence around hold 32 further reduced the field.
Austria’s Anika Deubler produced the strongest performance of the round, using excellent technique to finish ahead of Ukraine’s Rafael Kazbekova and Japan’s Shiori Murasugi.
The final proved exceptionally close, with four athletes finishing on the same score of 34+. As a result, countback to the semifinal became decisive.
Deubler was crowned women’s U19 Lead world champion thanks to her superior result in the previous round. Kazbekova claimed the silver medal, while Japan’s Natsumi Oda took bronze.
The remainder of the final ranking featured Analise Van Hoang of the United States, Japan’s Kohana Mugishima, French athletes Swann Lamblin-Burguet and Macha Brebion, and Japan’s Shiori Murasugi.
In the men’s semifinal, the change in style from a physical opening section to a far more technical second half, featuring small crimps and extremely limited footholds, tested every athlete and separated the leading contenders from the rest of the field.
South Korea’s Chanjin Jung was the only climber to complete the entire route, earning a huge ovation from the crowd. He finished ahead of Japan’s Ryusei Hamada and Great Britain’s Isaac Sutton.
The men’s final delivered one of the most emotional moments of the entire day.
On an extremely demanding route featuring continuous smearing and compression moves, with almost no genuine opportunities to rest, Italy’s Andrea Ludovico Chelleris produced an outstanding performance.
Climbing smoothly, precisely and always under control, Chelleris reached hold 45+ and temporarily moved into first place, sending the home crowd at the Arco Climbing Stadium into celebration.
Only the final athlete to take to the wall was able to overtake him. Jung, the semifinal leader, confirmed his outstanding form by progressing to hold 48+ and securing the men’s U19 Lead world title.
Chelleris claimed a brilliant silver medal with a performance that once again highlighted his exceptional technical ability, intelligent energy management and remarkable mental strength.
Japan’s Ryusei Hamada completed the podium, taking bronze after reaching hold 40+.
Japan’s Hareru Nagamori placed fourth, followed by Isaac Sutton of Great Britain, Austria’s Christian Leitner, the Czech Republic’s Jan Štípek and France’s Mael Reynaud.
Following a day filled with outstanding performances and unforgettable emotions, the Arco Climbing Stadium is now ready to host the Speed competition, which will award the next youth world titles of Arco 2026.
