Zhao Yicheng
ChinaThe teenager who rewrote the record book in his first senior season and now owns the fastest time in history.
Zhao Yicheng arrived on the senior circuit in 2026 as a three-time world youth champion and left his first few months as the world-record holder. In April he ran 4.58s at the Asian Beach Games in Sanya to take the record, then lowered it again to 4.54s at World Climbing Series Wujiang, all before turning 17 in June.
His climbing is defined by an almost mechanical consistency off the start pad and a Tomoa skip that loses nothing to the fastest men in the sport. With the record already his and years of development ahead, the first sub-4.5s run looks more like a question of when than if.
- Men's 15m speed world record holder, 4.54s (Wujiang 2026)
- Broke the world record twice in spring 2026 (4.58s, then 4.54s)
- Gold, World Climbing Series Wujiang 2026
- Gold, 2026 Asian Beach Games (Sanya)
- Three-time world youth champion
Profile compiled from public sources, July 2026.
Competition history & rankings 10
| Competition | Location | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Cup | Chamonix | 2026 | 4 |
| World Cup | Krakow | 2026 | 2 |
| World Cup | Wujiang | 2026 | 1 |
| Continental Games | Sanya | 2026 | 1 |
| Youth Continental Championship | Guiyang | 2025 | 2 |
| Youth World Championship | Helsinki | 2025 | 1 |
| Youth World Championship | Guiyang | 2024 | 1 |
| Youth Continental Championship | Chongqing | 2023 | 4 |
| Youth World Championship | South Korea | 2023 | 1 |
| World Cup | Krakow | 2026 | 3 |
Results compiled from ifsc.results.info.