Italian Climber Colli Returns Injury-Free for Record Season

For the first time in years, Italian speed climber Beatrice Colli can train without pain holding her back.

The athlete spent years managing an Achilles tendon injury that limited her training. This off-season changed everything. "For the first time in my life, I could properly use my legs for the entire off-season," Colli said ahead of the World Climbing Series opener in Wujiang, China.

Her renewed health comes at a perfect time. The 2026 season promises to be the most groundbreaking yet for speed climbing, with athletes racing up a 15-meter vertical wall in times that seemed impossible just months ago.

Last month, Indonesia's Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi became only the second woman ever to climb below 6.10 seconds. Chinese teenager Zhao Yicheng shattered the men's world record with a stunning 4.58-second climb at the Asian Beach Games.

Colli believes women breaking the six-second barrier is inevitable. "Our sport is growing incredibly fast. Nothing is predictable anymore," she explained. "We are going beyond what we thought was possible, even just one year ago."

The season will also debut a four-lane format at three competitions, adding a new level of intensity to an already explosive sport. Colli spent her winter training in Italy before heading to Japan, where she found inspiration among young climbers pushing each other to new heights.

Why This Inspires

Speed climbing perfectly captures what happens when athletes overcome obstacles and push human potential forward together. Colli's journey from injury to full strength mirrors the sport's own evolution from niche discipline to Olympic event.

Her enthusiasm is contagious. "We literally look like spiders racing each other on a 15-meter vertical wall, pushing the limits together," she said about the upcoming four-lane competitions. "The spectators are going to go crazy for these events."

The Wujiang competition features a stacked field including reigning champions Zhang Shaoqin of China and Emma Hunt of the USA. The men's side promises an epic showdown between record holder Zhao and American Samuel Watson, the Paris 2024 bronze medalist.

Competition begins tomorrow with qualifying rounds, followed by finals that could rewrite record books once again.