WUJIANG, China - China's Zhao Yicheng broke the men's speed climbing world record for the second time in less than a month on Sunday, clocking 4.54 seconds in the semifinal before going on to win gold at the World Climbing Series Wujiang stop.

The 16-year-old lowered his previous world record of 4.58 seconds, which he set at last month's Asian Beach Games in Sanya, by defeating former record holder Samuel Watson in a much-anticipated semifinal showdown.

Watson, who won bronze at the 2024 Olympics and twice broke the world record during the 2024 season, posted 4.67 seconds in the race but was unable to match Zhao's pace. China's Long Jianguo later took silver, while Watson finished with bronze.

"Before racing him (Watson), I was really excited. At that point, I didn't really care about winning or losing," Zhao said afterward. "But I told myself to stay calm, and once I started climbing and catching the holds, I felt very powerful."

Zhao said his semifinal start was the fastest of the day, although he had not intentionally tried to improve his reaction time.

"I didn't deliberately try to speed up my reaction, but maybe there was a voice in my head telling me I had to be faster," he said. "There was pressure too, because I knew racing him meant every fraction of a second mattered."

ALSO READ: China shines at Asian Beach Games as Zhao sets world record, sailors win five golds

He added that the new record came naturally during the climb.

"It wasn't really about breaking the record," Zhao said. "I just felt more relaxed and excited than ever before."

Zhao, a three-time world youth champion who had already produced several times faster than previous world records in unofficial conditions, will turn 17 in June. This season is his first competing at senior international level.

The victory carried extra significance for Zhao, who was born in nearby Suzhou and had attended the Wujiang World Cup events as a spectator in previous years.

"I've watched the Wujiang World Cup for three or four straight years before becoming a competitor myself," he said. "Last year I was already looking forward to doing something here one day. Today, though, I felt more relaxed. People may have expectations for me, but the support from the crowd allowed me to completely be myself."

Watson praised Zhao after the race, calling him "definitely the most talented" speed climber he had seen.

"I knew that I had to go 100 percent against him," the 20-year-old American said, adding that the two climbers had known each other before and were even chatting about basketball beside the podium before the medal ceremony.

"In a straight race he wins, but speed climbers always jagged. It's not a straight wall. The road to a gold medal as well as the Olympics is not straight either. So it'll be interesting." said Watson.

In the women's speed event, Poland's Aleksandra Kalucka claimed the title.