Long Jianguo of China captured his first world title in men's speed climbing at the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Climbing World Championships in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday, marking the first time in 13 years for a Chinese man to win the speed title at the tournament.

22-year-old Long advanced to the final with consistently strong performances, completing each run in under five seconds to overcome competitors from Ukraine, Spain and Iran.

Long topped the final in 4.80 seconds, narrowly defeating Germany's Leander Carmanns by 0.19 seconds. He also secured qualification for next year's Asian Games in Aichi, Japan. The last Chinese climber to win this title was Zhong Qixin, who clinched four consecutive IFSC World Championships men's speed climbing golds between 2007 and 2012.