Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya

Possibly the most prestigious Games event outside the Olympics, and with speed climbing's competitive field concentrated across Asia, one of the most competitive of the year. Climbing runs across five days at Portmesse Nagoya with boulder, lead and speed on the programme, the third consecutive Asian Games to include the sport.

Zhao Yicheng赵一程Zhào Yīchéng will not take part. He was too young to qualify at any of the qualifying events, which removes the world record holder from the deepest speed field of the season.

That leaves the door open. World champion Long Jianguo龙见国Lóng Jiànguó leads the Chinese entry, Ryo Omasa carries home hopes for Japan, and Indonesia arrives with the deepest roster in the sport. Reza Alipour defends the title he won at the 2022 Games, held in 2023, and has never needed much of an excuse to elevate his performance at a major.