With her ascent of China Climbs near Yangshuo, Yunxi Chen set a new record: She is the youngest person to redpoint a grade 8b+ sport climbing route.
They are getting younger and younger, the climbers of difficult sport climbing routes. Ashima Shiraishi, Adam Ondra or Illya Bakhmet-Smolensky, they all scored 8c routes at the age of 11, Theo pale even at 10 years. The latter scored his first 9a route at age 12.
The eight-year-old Chinese climbed not 8c, but 8b+ Yunxi Chen in White Mountain near Yangshuo. She managed the red point ascent of the 30 meter long and overhanging route China Climbs. With her ascent on November 19, 2022, Chen ousted her compatriot Ziheng Qiu from the podium.
Qiu secured an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records on January 7th this year when she scored the same route at the age of nine.
Video about the previous record holder Ziheng Qiu
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Credits: Cover picture EvolvSports