[Nagoya AG] Seo Chaehyun Wins Bronze in Bouldering...Aims for Gold Again in Lead Event

Sharing the Podium Once Again With Zhang Yutong and Mori Ai, Competitors From Hangzhou

Seo Chaehyun, the leading figure in South Korean women's sport climbing, won a bronze medal in bouldering, which was held prior to her main event, lead climbing.

On October 1, at Port Messe Nagoya, Exhibition Hall No. 1 in Nagoya, Japan, Seo scored a total of 70 points in the women's bouldering final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, finishing third behind Zhang Yutong of China (85 points) and Mori Ai of Japan (84.8 points).

In the semifinal held the previous day, Seo advanced to the final with a perfect score of 100 points by “flashing” all four problems—completing each on her very first attempt. However, in the final, she only achieved perfect scores (25 points each) on the first two problems and dropped to third place.

Sports Climbing Seo Chaehyun. Yonhap News Agency

Seo maintained her streak of flashes in the early part of the final. Having qualified for the final as the top-ranked climber, she was the last of the eight finalists to compete.

The first problem was relatively straightforward, with six climbers flashing it. Seo also completed it on her first try without any surprises. On the second problem, six competitors—including Seo—also reached the top on their first attempt. Zhang, Mori, and Seo all had 50 points each after the second problem, having flashed both the first and second problems.

On the third problem, results started to diverge. Zhang was the only one to flash it, earning the full 25 points, while Mori completed it on her third attempt and received 24.8 points due to a 0.2-point deduction for two failed tries. Only Zhang and Mori managed to top the third problem.

Seo did not complete the third problem, but her performance earned her 10 points, placing her behind Zhang and Mori. In the fourth and final problem, no climber was able to reach the top. Seo, Zhang, and Mori all received 10 points for this problem, securing Zhang the gold, Mori the silver, and Seo the bronze medal.

At the 2022 Hangzhou competition, Seo took silver in the combined event, which determined rankings by adding together scores from both bouldering and lead. For this Asian Games, bouldering and lead are awarded separate medals, giving Seo the chance to compete for medals in both events. Seo will take on the semifinals and finals of the lead event on October 2 and 3, aiming once again for a gold medal.

Bouldering is a discipline where athletes use a variety of holds on a low wall around 4 meters high, without ropes, to see who can complete a set of problems in the fewest number of attempts. Lead climbing, by contrast, has competitors climb a much taller wall, approximately 15 meters in height, while wearing a harness and using ropes, seeking to climb as high as possible within a time limit.

In the 2022 Hangzhou combined event, Mori won gold, Seo earned silver, and Zhang took bronze. Due to torrential rain, the final round was canceled and the semifinal results determined the final rankings. Both Mori and Seo scored 199.73 points in the semifinal, with 99.73 in bouldering and a perfect 100 in lead. However, because the regulations stipulate that ties are broken by preliminary round scores, Seo narrowly missed out on the gold medal.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.