Asian Games profile: Speed climber Tan Bing Qian scaling new heights

An ancient Chinese tale tells of a race among animals, with the sequence they finished determining the 12-year zodiac cycle’s order. First came the rat, then the ox, the tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

At the Sept 23-Oct 8 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Singapore’s 431-strong contingent will also be racing for honours. The Straits Times features 12 athletes, each corresponding to one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac. In the sixth profile of the series, David Lee interviews speed climber Tan Bing Qian.

Climbing sounds like the perfect sport for an energetic kid to grow into. Was this you?

I was a really hyperactive and sporty kid. I couldn’t sit down for long, and had to run or jump around a lot. I played a little bit of volleyball in primary school and maybe because I was still young then, I never found a real enthusiasm or drive to achieve more in that sport.

But when I started sport climbing in Springfield Secondary School as they had both indoor and outdoor walls, I couldn’t contain myself and didn’t really consider other co-curricular activities and sports from then on.

What is sport climbing, and why is climbing a sport?

Sport climbing has three disciplines. Bouldering requires only mats and not harnesses and ropes for safety. Dynamic moves and techniques are used to get to the end of the route in as few attempts as possible in four minutes.

In lead climbing, we are attached to a rope, and it is about getting as high up the wall as possible in six minutes. Recent routes involve more daring moves which include jumps, even while facing 180 degrees out of the wall. Lastly, speed climbing involves scaling a 15-metre wall (a standard route in use since 2007) as fast as possible.

Climbing is a sport because it is more all-encompassing than just arm strength, and involves body movement control and technique. Learning all these skills makes climbing challenging and one needs to experience this to discover the infinite possibilities.

Why did you switch from bouldering to speed climbing, and what challenges did you face?

I was already exposed to speed climbing at the annual National Schools Speed Climbing Championships, and I prefer the adrenaline rush to the pumped feeling in my arms when I am on the wall. It was not easy as it required a lot of power for a student.

But I don’t think it was that big of a switch for me because I already like to jump and pull when I am on the wall, so speed climbing is a better fit for me.

You have been described as quiet, but were also appointed speed team captain in June. How has climbing changed you?

I am quiet most of the time because I am a bit introverted. However, as the team captain, I believe it’s important to communicate with my teammates, remind them what our goals are, and motivate and give them confidence.

A speed climbing contest is faster than the 100m race in athletics. What goes on through your mind in those few seconds? 

The competition already starts before the actual run with the mental preparation of not being afraid of the other athletes, trying not to slip and avoiding false starts.

I would leave the rest to muscle memory to climb better instead of overthinking.

Your personal best is 6.4 seconds. How can you get faster, and how do you react when you don’t? 

I set my PB in early August and we started speed training again only this year as the climbing gym with the wall closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. We didn’t have a place to train for three years.

Analysing and comparing my climb to other athletes is the best way to improve the climbs. I can see the body positions and movements, which will show where I can be more efficient.

Yes, it’s frustrating not to be able to break my PB, but I try to keep in mind what my coach has told me – to trust what I’m doing and things will eventually go my way.

Take us through your single hardest day of practice.

The hardest training I had was with the world’s best climbers in Indonesia, where they trained five times a week and up to thrice a day. It was an eye-opening experience, their training regimen is really strict and they inspired me to do better.

When I was there, they climbed in the morning and went to the gym in the afternoon. For the climbing session, we had to scale the wall and repeat a certain route 16 times. It felt like there was not a lot of time to rest as I was doing this for the first time.

I didn’t have energy to pull and was out of breath while I was on the wall. When I came down from the wall, I couldn’t even walk properly and felt I could throw up my breakfast any time.

After the gym session, which focused on pull-ups and squats, I went back to my room and was knocked out until dinner, and then went back to sleep again.

What does a perfect speed climb take, look and feel like to you?

A perfect climb should be smooth and fast, without tapping my feet on the wall, which stops the flow and momentum of the climb.

How do you feel going into your first major Games?

I’m definitely feeling nervous and a lot of pressure going into my first major Games because it is also my last competition before I enter national service and sign on with the police, and I want to do well. But I am motivated to perform my best and excited to experience a major Games and learn from this.

Surely, your favourite superhero must be Spiderman. Who else do you look up to? 

I don’t really have a favourite superhero, but my idol and motivation is Indonesia speed climbing legend Aspar Jaelolo.

In what way are you like your Chinese zodiac animal – the snake?

I can relate to how snakes shed their skin. I like that concept of shedding my past and improving on myself every day for my climbs or just in general.

Factfile

Name: Tan Bing Qian
Age: 22
Asian Games events: Sport climbing men’s speed, men’s speed team
Achievements: 
- National Climbing Championships boulder gold and speed silver (2016)
- Asian Youth Championships speed 10th (2019)