China clinch speed climbing relay golds at World Games

Host China capped the climbing competition at the World Games on Saturday by sweeping the men's and women's speed relay finals, finishing the event with five of the six gold medals on offer.

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The relay, a new format making its debut at a major international event, pairs two athletes on a team. The second climber starts only after the first hits the timing pad at the top, and the combined time determines the final result.

The competition in Chengdu also produced the first men's and women’s world records in the discipline, reports Xinhua.

The men's field featured some of the sport's biggest names. American Samuel Watson, the individual world record holder, and teammate Zachary Hammer faced China's Chu Shouhong and Long Jianguo - both fresh off individual golds - in the semifinals. Watson, still nursing a shoulder injury, delivered a clean run, but Hammer slipped, sending the Chinese duo to the final.