18 of South Africa’s top youth climbers showcased their talents at the IFSC Youth World Championships in Guiyang, China.
Held from 22-31 August, 599 athletes from 49 nations – 334 male and 265 female – competed in the Boulder, Lead and Speed disciplines across three age categories – Youth B (U16), Youth A (U18) and Juniors (U20), to crown the youth world champions.
With high hopes and months of rigorous preparation, the South African team were eager to make their mark on the global stage. A notable mention goes to Nick Allan, who placed 18th in the Lead qualifiers, marking his third appearance in the Lead Semi-Finals on this stage, where he placed 21st.
| Name | Age Group | Boulder Rank | Lead Rank | Speed Rank |
| Adam Preston | Youth B Male (u16) | 42/49 | 40/46 | |
| Ben Gibson-Taylor | 37/46 | |||
| Jemma Erdey | Youth B Female (u16) | 50/54 | 34/45 | 24/29 |
| Talya van der Velde | 42/54 | 40/45 | 28/29 | |
| Tiffany Bouwer | 45/54 | 43/45 | ||
| Nicholas Allan | Youth A Male (u18) | 32/70 | 18/61(Q) 21/25(SF) | |
| John Stucken | 47/70 | 31/44 | ||
| Ferdinand Weich | 53/61 | |||
| Nicolaus Stewart | 63/70 | 35/44 | ||
| Ilke Pepler | Youth A Female (u18) | 52/61 | 47/62 | |
| Caitlin Bouwer | 55/61 | 54/62 | ||
| Farron Smith | 54/61 | 58/62 | ||
| Arielle Coetzer | DNS | |||
| Fayzan Adroos | Junior Male (u20) | 59/64 | DNS | |
| Luke Westman | 54/64 | DNS | ||
| Victor Ellis | 35/42 | |||
| Joey Johnson | 48/64 | |||
| Cara Pepler | Junior Female (u20) | 41/48 | 44/47 |
South African climbing still has a long way to go, as many of our junior athletes are currently placing in the bottom half of the rankings. However, these experiences on the world stage should serve as a powerful motivation for our athletes, showing where the competition bar is set and fueling their desire to improve and succeed. Onwards and upwards!
