More than 750 young climbers representing 69 nations gathered in Arco, Italy, from 18 to 25 July for the 2026 World Climbing Youth Championship. Among them were 17 South African athletes competing across Lead, Speed and Boulder in the Under-17 and Under-19 categories.
Arco has special significance for South African youth climbing. This was the third time a South African youth team had competed at the iconic venue, following the championships held there in 2015 and 2019. The 2026 team continued the steady progress seen in recent seasons, gaining valuable international experience and improving several previous results.
The Management Team
After spending time training in Innsbruck Austria, the team headed to Arco Italy. This year the management team elected to select discipline specific coaches rather than appointing a head and assistant coach. Managing the Lead and Speed was Nicholas Meinel, with Johandri Fourie appointed as the designated Boulder coach. Carmen Bouwer was the official Team Manager with Christine Walland joining as the Assistant Manager.
Lead
The competition started swiftly with the Lead event and the athletes did not disappoint. As the most experienced athletes, Maia Davies and Pieter Vorster both floated up the lead walls in their respective Under-19 categories, showing their technical ability and composure. Maia finished in 56th place, and Pieter in 74th.
In terms of placements, team captain Jemma Erdey had the overall best Lead performance, as she finished 68th in a round of 103 athletes in the women’s Under-17 category. Maia, Pieter and Jemma all improved on last year’s results in Helsinki Finland.
Speed
The Lead competition was quickly followed by Speed, with Tiaan Goosen, Roux Wentzel and Zander Laubscher stepping up to the start in the Under-17 category. This year, we only had athletes from this age group participating in the Speed event. Tiaan’s best run was 10.54 seconds, with Zander clocking 9.58 and Roux coming in with a personal-best time of 8.61 seconds.
As Speed climbing continues to grow in popularity, the times at youth events continue to drop. We look forward to watching and following our Speed athletes over the next year as they continue to improve and get even faster on the wall.
Boulder
In the men’s Under-17 category, Caleb Wintermeyer and Anton Redelinghuys both went on to top one boulder and secure three additional zones. In the men’s Under-19 category, Naethan Mol had a standout round, flashing one problem, topping a second and securing two additional zones. This left Naethan in 59th place in a round of 110 athletes—an immensely impressive performance in his first international event.
On the women’s Under-17 side, Jessica Fitschen—who, like Naethan, was also competing internationally for the first time—secured an impressive flash on boulder number two. Jessica also secured an additional zone, leaving her the highest-ranked South African female in Boulder.
Complete Team SA results
| Athlete | Category | Lead | Speed | Boulder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maia Davies | U19 Women | 56th | — | — |
| Jessica Walland | U19 Women | — | — | 76th |
| Pieter Vorster | U19 Men | 74th | — | — |
| Naethan Mol | U19 Men | — | — | 59th |
| Benjamin Gibson-Taylor | U19 Men | 96th | — | 105th |
| Jemma Erdey | U17 Women | 68th | — | 86th |
| Jessica Fitschen | U17 Women | 78th | — | 83rd |
| Lily Andela | U17 Women | — | — | 107th |
| Noah Bramwell | U17 Men | 80th | — | — |
| Oliver Berndsen | U17 Men | 83rd | — | — |
| Ewan Floyd | U17 Men | 93rd | — | — |
| Roux Wentzel | U17 Men | — | 45th | — |
| Zander Laubscher | U17 Men | — | 49th | — |
| Tiaan Goosen | U17 Men | — | 53rd | — |
| Caleb Wintermeyer | U17 Men | — | — | 73rd |
| Anton Redelinghuys | U17 Men | — | — | 81st |
| James Downing | U17 Men | — | — | 99th |
An em dash indicates that the athlete did not compete in that discipline.
The world champions
The championship also produced twelve new titles across the two age groups.
In Lead, South Korea’s Chanjin Jung and Austria’s Anika Deubler won the U19 titles. Japan claimed both U17 gold medals through Kazuki Nakata and Arisa Hayashi.
China dominated Speed, with Yanze Shi winning U19 Men, Xinyi Huang taking U19 Women and Mingyi Zhou securing U17 Men. New Zealand’s Mila Piatek won the U17 Women’s title.
In Boulder, South Korea’s Beomjin Park and Germany’s Paula Mayer-Vorfelder were crowned U19 champions. Japan’s Kazuki Nakata completed an exceptional Lead–Boulder double in U17 Men, while Switzerland’s Amélie Kägi won U17 Women.
That’s a Wrap
Away from the competition walls, Team South Africa embraced the opportunity to climb, learn and build friendships with athletes from around the world.
South Africa may not yet be knocking on the door of the semi-finals, but performances such as Mol’s 59th place in Boulder, Erdey’s 68th in Lead and the improved results of several returning athletes show continued progress.
Congratulations to every athlete, coach and manager who represented the country and flew the South African flag in Arco.
