Japan teen Anraku wins Asiad men's combined sport climbing

HANGZHOU, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) — Sorato Anraku from Japan emerged as the winner in the men’s combined sport climbing event at the Asian Games held in Hangzhou, despite unexpected rainfall.

During the boulder session, rain began to pour down, leading to slippery conditions for the climbers. Some competitors brought towels to wipe their shoes.

Anraku reflected on the rain delay, stating, “We had to wait for a while because of the rain. We felt a bit cold and uneasy.”

Despite the weather, the 16-year-old Anraku demonstrated composure and successfully completed all four routes in the boulder session, making him the only finalist to do so. In the lead section, no one could match Anraku’s performance as he reached the highest number of holds (41+) and secured the gold medal with a total of 187.8 points.

Anraku revealed his strategy, saying, “I took some risks during the lead session, but I also controlled my pace when starting the route.” This year, Anraku surprised the climbing world by winning both the men’s boulder and lead titles at the World Cup. He was considered the favorite to win the title in Hangzhou, which marked his debut senior season.

South Korea’s Lee Do-hyun earned the silver medal, while Pan Yufei made history for China by winning the bronze medal after staging a comeback in the lead session.

After securing China’s first major medal in the combined event, Pan expressed his emotions, stating, “I feel fortunate, and there is still much room for improvement and learning from the other finalists.” The 23-year-old climber added, “This medal will also increase my confidence, especially after overcoming a difficult period last year.”