The team won the silver medal at the 14th Games of the People’s Republic of China

CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- On October 11, at the Huayan Gecko King National Rock Climbing Demonstration Park in Jiulongpo of Chongqing, the players who had a rest after the National Games resumed their training. Rock climbing became an official Olympic event in 2016, making it a competitive event in the National Games for the first time this year. At the 14th National Games, which ended at the end of last month, Chongqing won a silver medal for the first time. Competitive results are the embodiment of the promotion of the program, now rock climbing in “mountain city” Chongqing has developed in an all-round way.

First-class venue as a foundation

Ma Zida, the coach of the Chongqing Gecko King Climbing Team, led the team members to resume training at the Huayan Gecko King National Rock Climbing Demonstration Park in Jiulongpo District, Chongqing, just after their holiday.

The team members worked hard on the rock, and behind them were shady trees, birds singing and flowers’ fragrance. According to reports, this is the China’s first “National Rock Climbing Demonstration Park” named by the Chinese Mountaineering Association. It has complete facilities, with speed rock wall, rock wall with difficulties and rock climbing wall, covering an area of about 1100 square meters, and is the largest rock climbing site in southwest China.

“The biggest advantage of the venue to our players is that it is a semi-open venue.” Ma Zida, the treble champion of difficulty, speed and rock climbing at the 2014 National Rock Climbing Championships, said that the outdoor feeling of rock climbing will give contestants a better feeling of participating in the competition, but pure outdoor venues will encounter uncertainties of weather changes. the rock wall of the Gecko King National Rock Climbing Demonstration Park is semi-open -- the top can shield the players from the wind and rain, which gives the contestants enough outdoor feeling without being disturbed by the weather.

Excellent venues are the basis for the development of the program. In 2018, Chongqing Gecko King Climbing Team (Chongqing Group of National Rock Climbing Training Team) was established. The team was jointly established by the Mountaineering Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, Chongqing Sports Bureau, Chongqing Jiulongpo District People’s Government and Chongqing Gecko King Climbing Club Co., Ltd.

Since its establishment, the team has achieved good results. In the 14th National Games, which ended last month, the team won a silver medal in the men’s all-around event under the age of 16. Chongqing Gecko King Rock Climbing Club Co., Ltd. was recently awarded the national advanced unit of mass sports.

International events + participation in the campus for popularization

Based on the venue, a large number of events bring a good atmosphere for rock climbing.

Today, Chongqing has been the site of first-class and even international events for a long time. In recent years, a number of international and domestic top events, such as the Chongqing Sub-competition of the International Federation of Sport Climbing World Cup, the Rock Climbing Finals for Mass Program of the 13th National Games, the Selection of the National Rock Climbing Team of the 18th Asian Games, the National Youth U Competition of Rock Climbing, and the Asian Youth Championships, etc., were held in Chongqing. “It is no exaggeration to say that Chongqing is already one of the paradises for rock climbing in China.” Hu Yongfeng, secretary general of Chongqing Rock Climbing Association, said so.

At the same time, rock climbing has begun to gain massive popularity among the youth population.

According to reports, the project takes Jiulongpo District as the starting point, radiates Kaizhou, Tongliang, Yongchuan, Fengjie, Yunyang and other districts (countys) schools, and vigorously carries out the work of “rock climbing into the campus.” More and more schools in Chongqing are offering rock climbing courses, and the seeds of rock climbing are sown throughout Chongqing.

The rock climbing competition of the 6th Games of Chongqing held this year attracted 72 athletes from 7 districts and counties, including Wanzhou District, Jiulongpo District, Changshou District, Yongchuan District, Rongchang District, Kaizhou District and Yunyang County, to participate in the competition. It is an effective test for the promotion of youth rock climbing in Chongqing over the past few years.

“The most important thing about rock climbing is to develop children’s ability to think independently and face problems and solve them independently.” Ma Zida describes, “the routes are different every time when climbing, the problems encountered are different every time, and the players do not know the routes before the competition. This is a good exercise for children.” (Translated by Wang Junli, Fathom Language Limited)