by sportswriter Wang Qin'ou

BAISHA, China, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Olympic climbing silver medalist Wu Peng said Thursday that his recovery from a finger injury will require more time, following his withdrawal from China's team trials on Wednesday.

The withdrawal means Wu, China's national record holder in men's speed climbing, will miss most international competitions this year except the world championships, where he retains a spot as reigning Asian champion.

Wu strained his left ring finger during an internal team test two weeks before the trials. "I already felt my fingers were losing strength, but I still tried to climb higher. Then I heard a 'pop' in my finger," Wu recalled.

Initial fears of a career-ending tendon rupture were eased by medical scans confirming a strain, though the injury has severely disrupted training. "At first, I couldn't even do pull-ups. I just hung there in pain. I couldn't climb either. Even gripping the starting holds hurt," Wu said.

After a week's rest, he resumed climbing and improved his speed from 5.40 seconds to just over five seconds, but the injury recurred. During trials, pain at the base of his finger prevented forceful movements despite thorough warm-ups. He withdrew after consulting coaches to avoid aggravating the issue.

Wu's coach, Zhang Yanli, said his recovery depends on rehabilitation progress. "If he keeps climbing now, it will only make things worse," Zhang noted, adding Wu initially aimed to finish the trials but had already pushed his limits.

Wu expressed frustration at missing this year's World Cup and other major events. "No athlete wants to sit out major competitions, but there's nothing I can do about getting injured at this time. Recovery takes time, and even if I force myself to compete, I won't be at my best," he said.

The trials highlighted emerging talent. Yang Jie and Chu Shouhong repeatedly clocked sub-five-second times, while 15-year-old Zhao Yicheng posted consecutive runs of 4.66 and 4.65 seconds - both faster than the current 4.74-second world record. However, results remain unofficial as the event lacked International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) sanctioning.

Wu filmed Zhao's climbs on his phone. "I had a feeling he was about to break the world record," the 22-year-old said. "Of course I feel some pressure - young climbers are catching up fast. But it's normal, and it's a good thing for the sport."

Speed climbing debuted as a standalone Olympic event in Paris, where Wu set China's national record (4.77 seconds) to claim silver, finishing 0.02 seconds behind Indonesia's Veddriq Leonardo and 0.03 seconds off the world record set by Samuel Watson of America.

Wu secured his world championships berth by winning the 2024 Asian title in 4.89 seconds.