TAI'AN, China, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Japan claimed the first gold medal of the 2024 Asian Sport Climbing Championships here on Friday, sweeping the podium in the women's bouldering final. Anon Matsufuji, Miho Nonaka and Fubata Ito secured the top three spots.
The event featured 28 climbers from eight teams, with six advancing to the final. Japan dominated the competition, with five climbers making it to the final round.
Matsufuji, 22, was the only climber to top all four problems. She led after the first three routes, and by flashing the final boulder in a single attempt, she clinched the gold medal and her first-ever Asian title.
Veteran climber Miho Nonaka, 27, completed three tops. She struggled with the final boulder with five attempts to top it, but her persistence paid off as she edged out her teammate for the silver.
"I really like that boulder, it was really powerful," Nonaka commented after the event, acknowledging that the holds were uneasy to control, but she was happy that she didn't give up until the end.
Nonaka, a two-time Olympian and silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Games, didn't make the final in the women's combined event at the Paris Olympics in August.
"I'm definitely getting older, the oldest woman on the Japanese team," she joked. "But I'm happy to see so many younger climbers growing stronger."
Having competed on the international stage for ten years, Nonaka said that her motivation to stay in the sport is not just about results, but about the joy of solving new problems on every route.
"I feel that I should train even harder to stay strong," looking ahead, she said. "As long as I have a chance, I will try [to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics]."
China's Zhang Yuetong was the only non-Japanese finalist, finishing in sixth place.
"It wasn't that I lacked strength, but my skin was too worn down," Zhang said after the final. "My hands were sweaty, and I just couldn't hold on. I also made some mistakes reading the routes."
The men's bouldering final will take place on Saturday. ■
