Sanya, China, 28 April — China asserted commanding control over the sailing programme at the Asian Beach Games, securing five gold medals, two silver, and two bronze across multiple disciplines on Tuesday, while teenage speed climber Zhao Yicheng rewrote the men's speed record with a blazing 4.58 seconds.

China's sailing sweep

The host nation's sailors dominated across Optimist, ILCA4, foil windsurfing, and Formula Kite events. Cheng Wenyu, a Hainan native, captured gold in the girls' Optimist, with Singapore's Anya Alessia Zahedi taking silver and Thailand's Pariyaporn Chantarawong bronze. In the boys' Optimist, Thailand's Rachata Sadtrakulwattana claimed gold ahead of teammate Sorawit Naksuk, while Malaysia's Muhammad Yaasin Bin Syahrizan secured bronze.

Cheng expressed delight at winning on home waters. "I'm very happy to win gold in my hometown," she said, adding confidence that sailing would grow with increased public attention.

Teenage dominance in ILCA and foil events

16-year-old Yan Guoguo of China won gold in the girls' ILCA4, followed by Thailand's Pailin Jaroenpon and Singapore's Nia Mehry Zahedi. Singapore's Ian Goh took gold in the boys' ILCA4, with Thailand's Hussaluk Srinakorn second and South Korea's Jiun Choi third.

In boys' foil windsurfing — an Olympic debut event at Paris 2024 now included in the Asian Beach Games — 20-year-old Wang Yiguo of China won gold, with Philippines' Dhenver John Castillo and Thailand's Wachirawit Thonup taking silver and bronze. On the girls' side, China's Chen Yimin topped the podium, Li Qing took bronze, and Hong Kong's Yuen Ching Suet claimed silver.

Wang said his original goal was simply a podium finish. "Being able to compete at a major Asian event is very meaningful for me," he stated, expressing hopes to compete on a larger international stage.

Formula Kite medals split

China's Ma Zilin, 18, won gold in women's Formula Kite, with teammate Li Shuxuan taking silver and South Korea's Lee Youngeun bronze. In the men's Formula Kite, Thailand's Joseph Jonathan Weston claimed gold, while China's Xue Shiming and Yang Xinnuo secured silver and bronze.

Thailand finished second overall with two gold medals, while Singapore took one. David Brookes, chief referee for sailing, noted that the event "progressed in an orderly way according to plan," citing favourable weather conditions in Sanya Bay that permit year-round training and competition.

Zhao's record-breaking speed climb

Chinese speed climber Zhao Yicheng obliterated the men's speed climbing world record on Tuesday, clocking 4.58 seconds in the preliminaries — shattering American Samuel Watson's previous mark of 4.64 seconds, set at a World Cup event in Bali in 2025. The 16-year-old opened with 4.73 seconds on his first attempt before slicing his time dramatically on his second run.

The breakthrough caps months of rapid progression. In March 2025, during a national team selection event in Baisha, Hainan, Zhao recorded unofficial times of 4.68 and 4.65 seconds in a single afternoon — both faster than Watson's then-standing record of 4.74 seconds from the Paris Olympics. "I just had to see what the view looked like from 4.6 seconds," Zhao said at the time.

His record-setting performance led a strong Chinese showing, with all four Chinese men and all four Chinese women advancing to the next round. The round of 16 was scheduled for Tuesday evening, setting up a dominant showing for the hosts in the climbing discipline.