Desak Made Rita wins Asian Games 2026 speed climbing gold

Indonesian climber Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi won the gold medal in the women’s speed climbing event at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. In a dramatic final, she secured the victory with a time of 6.062 seconds, narrowly defeating China’s Deng Lijuan, who finished in 6.064 seconds—a margin of just 0.002 seconds. South Korea’s Jimin Jeong took the bronze medal with a time of 6.18 seconds.

Desak’s performance set a new Asian Games and Asian record, successfully defending her title from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. The victory was achieved despite technical challenges, including timing system issues and the transition to a more complex four-lane competition format.

This gold medal marks Indonesia’s fourth gold of the 2026 games, meeting the target set by Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir. Desak’s win contributes to Indonesia's total medal count, which stands at 31 medals including 4 gold, 7 silver, and 20 bronze.