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Women's speed climbers display peak conditioning in thrilling display of strength and agility

The phrase "don't blink or you'll miss it" could have been coined to describe speed climbing. In the competition at the Hangzhou Asian Games, it takes just a few heart-pounding seconds for the athletes to conquer a towering, 15-meter-high wall. In such a short span of time, even the slightest misstep could spell the end to a climber's hope of reaching the summit of the medal podium.

With these particular athletes being among the most adept at harnessing the power of their bodies, it provides for a thrilling spectacle, especially in the women's competition. Their display of muscular prowess is truly captivating.

The athletes don sleek, sleeveless climbing tops that seem to accentuate the beauty of their sculpted arms and shoulders. Their biceps and triceps, chiseled to perfection, flex and engage with each precise move, propelling them upwards with exceptional efficiency.

Anisha Verma, a 19-year-old climber from India, embarked on her wall-scaling journey seven years ago, inspired by her twin brother, Aman Verma.

"At first, I wasn't particularly fond of climbing, but gradually, I developed a deep passion for it."

She first tried lead, in which the objective is to climb the route in predetermined time, the highest climber wins. Later she felt a need for speed, where the objective is to climb a set vertical route in the fastest time possible.

What drew her to the latter was the exhilarating sense of improvement, and the rush of reaching the top of the wall faster and more efficiently.

"I found climbing to be fun, dynamic and adventurous. In the speed event you have to be fast, in bouldering — where climbers take on a series of fixed routes with increasing difficulty — you have to be dynamic, and in lead you have to be patient. There is everything," she said.

"My brother is my partner in this. He motivates and supports me," she said.

Together the siblings have made their way to Shaoxing Keqiao Yangshan Sport Climbing Centre — the high-tech, beautifully designed climbing venue built especially for the continental sports gala.

She went on to explain that another reason she has a fondness for climbing is due to her mother's strict rules, which required her to adhere to a specific curfew at home.

However, having earned a few sporting honors, her mom has become more lenient, allowing her the freedom to come and go as she pleases.

Thailand's Narada Disyabut, who reached the quarterfinals, said she loves the sport due to its challenging nature.

"I enjoy not only doing it well, but also the opportunity to continually improve," she said.

"The sport also enables me to blend the enjoyment of climbing with friends and participating in competitions in multiple countries."

To date, she has competed in seven different nations, including Singapore, Indonesia and Argentina.

"I have many travel plans in the pipeline," she said, adding that she's eagerly awaiting the next new adventure the sport will take her on.

The petite 23-year-old sported a lovely hair accessory and greeted everyone with a sweet smile. However, her tracksuit jacket hid a physique rippling with unbridled strength.

"As an athlete, I aspire to represent women as a gender of strength," she added.

Indonesian climber Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi secured the gold medal in the women's speed climbing event, with China's Deng Lijuan earning silver. Although the Indonesian athlete experienced a slight slowdown around the midway point, she made a remarkable recovery and finished with a time of 6.364 seconds, winning by a margin of 0.091 sec.

Before going into the final round, Dewi broke the Asian Games record with a time of 6.600 in the qualifying round.

"I'm very happy to win at my first Asian Games. It's also my personal-best result," she said.