Zhou Yafei from Lishui, Zhejiang province, secured her spot in the women's speed climbing finals with a time of 6.55 seconds at the elimination heats on Aug 5. 

The preliminary round of the Paris Olympics' speed climbing event is divided into a qualifying stage and an elimination stage.

During the qualifying stage, Zhou shattered both her personal best record and the Chinese women's speed climbing record with a time of 6.389 seconds.

The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals in women's speed climbing are scheduled to kick off on the evening of Aug 7.

Born in 2004 in Songyang county, Zhou has achieved remarkable results in numerous domestic and international competitions. In November 2023, she clinched the women's speed climbing championship at the 2023 China Climbing League in Shaoxing city and later placed second at the 30th National Climbing Championships in December.