Kiwi teen Julian David has broken new ground for the sport of rock climbing in New Zealand, capturing a world youth speed crown at Seoul.
Funded by High Performance Sport NZ, David now has an eye on next year's Paris Olympics, when speed climbing will make its debut.
"It's an unbelievable achievement," he said. "I'm so proud of myself and my team, and so grateful to my coach Rob Moore and HPSNZ for all their support.
"I would not be world champion without them."
David, 18, was ranked fifth for the head-to-head knockout finals, but mastered the tricky wet conditions better than his opponents. He actually trailed Italian Balestrazzi Daniele of Italy in the semi-final, until his opponent slipped in the final metres and let him past.
In the final, both David and American Feller Micah slipped early, but the Kiwi regained his form to scamper to victory.
"I'm blown away," said Moore. "We have been training really hard in France before worlds and we have been focusing on consistent, clean runs.
"I think this was the key today in really tricky conditions. He kept his head under pressure and performed incredibly."
Competitors are required to scale a 15-metre wall with standardised holds.
"I can't believe it," David from Tauranga. "It really came down to performing and putting it down on the day.
"I've lost my voice from all the screaming. It’s just incredible, I’m the champion of the world."
