2024 IFSC Climbing Youth World Championships kicks off in SW China's Guizhou

GUIYANG, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 IFSC Climbing Youth World Championships kicked off in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province on Thursday.

The event attracted 599 athletes from 51 nations and regions including China, the United States, Australia, Japan and India.

The ten-day championships sees athletes competing in the men's and women's Boulder, Lead and Speed disciplines across three age categories, U16, U18 and U20.

Christophe Billon, the delegate of the IFSC event, said at the opening ceremony that the championships was not only just a competition but also a unique opportunity to bring together young athletes from around the world with different cultures to show their passion and talent.

"After Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024, and as we look forward to the LA 2028 Olympic Games, where climbing will once again take center stage, the championships serves as a vital stepping stone," said Billon.

"It is here that future Olympians are born, and where the dreams of representing your nation and region on the world's biggest stage begin to take shape," Billon added.

It was the second time the event came to China following Guangzhou 2016.