The current record holder and top-ranked climber headed into the competition in the Chinese city, which showcased sport climbing during the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, fresh from having earned gold at Chongqing.

Kaplina underlined her status as the favourite for victory by winning her quarter-final in a time of 8.30 seconds, which meant she would face her team-mate Anna Tsyganova in the last four.

She set a faster time of 8.04 to book her place in the gold medal contest against Ukraine’s Alla Marenych, who clocked 9.04 to beat Poland’s Aleksandra Rudzinska in the other semi-final.

The Ukrainian was unable to rival Kaplina for the gold after posting a time of 9.31, while the Russian continued to get faster by completing the event in 8.01 to win the title.

Kaplina was joined by her compatriot Tsyganova on the podium, after she produced a time of 7.98 to triumph in the bronze medal contest.

In response Rudzinska could only manage 8.34, which saw her miss out on a podium spot.

Iran’s Reza Alipourshenazandifar was able to celebrate gold in the men’s event after finishing the final in a time of 11.75.

He had already been assured of the victory after his rival, Libor Hroza of the Czech Republic, was disqualified in the gold medal contest following his second false start of the competition.

It proved to be déjà vu for Hroza, after the top-ranked men’s competitor was disqualified at the Chongqing World Cup earlier this month in the same fashion.

Poland’s Marcin Dzienski earned victory in the bronze medal contest in a time of 5.97, with Russia’s Stanislav Kokorin trailing in 6.91.