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d a été certifié sportif national de deuxième année à l'âge de 14 ans.Helvetica Neue

applaudit avec enthousiasme après avoir terminé avec un temps de 5,08 secondes lors d'une manche de sélection pour les Jeux asiatiques de Hangzhou à Hainan le 8 mai 2022. CHINA DAILYHelvetica Neue

peu de temps après sa certification, un grave accident s'est produit. Cao est tombé d'un mur de 13 mètres pendant l'entraînement, se cassant le bas du dos, la cuisse gauche et se disloquant le poignet gauche. Après s'être remis de l'accident, Cao est retourné grimpermalgré les protestations de sa famille."Helvetica Neue","Ping Fang SC",

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At the age of 18, Cao had to undergo another surgery after injuring his left arm in a competition.

It was after that surgery that Cao decided to give speed climbing a try because it requires different techniques from bouldering and lead climbing and puts less pressure on his previously injured body parts.

And it turns out that Cao was great at speed climbing as well, even though he thinks he is hardly the strongest athlete.

"When it comes to pull-ups, squats or dead lifts, I'm definitely not the one who can lift or pull the heaviest weight," he said.

"But I guess I'm better at carrying momentum and knowing the subtleties of each move, and I know how to better distribute power to different parts of my body."

Unlike the other two climbing disciplines — where routes are changed regularly and every competition is different — speed climbing routes are identical everywhere in the world, which means that climbers train on the exact same route every day. However, Cao doesn't find it to be boring.

"Training with my teammates makes it fun and exciting. And our coach Zhong Qixin, a five-time world champion, comments on each of our climbs and advises us on how we can improve," said Cao. "Also, advanced technology used to monitor our physical state and body data allows us to train more efficiently and effectively."

Now, Cao is training with the team at the Huairou National Mountaineering Training Base in Beijing, preparing for the Hangzhou Asian Games in September and the Paris Olympics in 2024. In his eyes, the national record of 4.98 seconds that he made a little over a month ago has become a thing of the past.

"As excited as I was at the result, it was just a one-time thing. The titles won't always stay with me if I just settle for what I have achieved up to now," said Cao. "I'll keep striving to do better and outdo myself."

Reporter: Chen Xue