Kiromal Katibin breaks speed world record in qualifying at Climbing World Cup in Villars
Indonesia's Katibin lowers his own world record from 5.10 to 5.04 seconds. Niu Di tops the women's qualifiers.
Sport Climbing
Speed climbing world record holder Kiromal Katibin is seemingly unstoppable.
The Indonesian, who produced a world record on his last World Cup outing in May, repeated the feat on Thursday (30 June) at the Speed and Lead World Cup stop in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland.
Katibin raced up the 15-metre wall in 5.097 and 5.04 seconds on his two attempts in qualifying, with the faster time shaving 0.06 seconds off his previous best set on 21 May in Salt Lake City.
The second-quickest qualifier, China's Cao Long, only posted a quickest time of 5.21 seconds – a lifetime away, seemingly, in speed climbing terms.
Former world record holders Reza Alipourshenazandifar and Veddriq Leonardo also safely made it through among the top 16 to Friday's finals.
In the women's qualifiers, there was a Chinese one-two as Niu Di and Deng Lijuan recorded the fastest times at 6.91 and 6.94 seconds respectively.
However, world record holder Aleksandra Miroslaw is not in action in Villars.