At the first IFSC World Cup in South America last weekend, Japanese Sorato Anraku returned in his usual strong form. In the women's competition, French bouldering champion Naïlé Meignan topped the World Cup podium for the first time.
The second Bouldering World Cup 2025 ended on Sunday evening with the women's final and a – albeit not entirely – new face on the podium: Naïlé Meignan from France won her first World Cup gold at her first appearance of the season in Curitiba, Brazil, ahead of Oriane Bertone and the Italian Camilla Moroni in second and third place. Only the two French women were able to top all four final boulders.
I was a bit nervous on the first boulder, but after that I felt more confident and was able to flash the last three boulders.
Naïlé Meignan
Meignan, who will be in Villars in 2024 European Champion in bouldering, advanced to the final in third place. Japan, with its four athletes Anon Matsufuji, Futaba Ito, Melody Sekikawa, and Mao Nakamura, once again dominated the final round, but was not represented on the podium. A surprise guest, American Nekaia Sanders, slipped into her first World Cup final, finishing eighth, where she remained until the end of the round.
Sorato Anraku back in the lead
Japan's superstar Sorato Anraku left nothing to chance at the World Cup in Curitiba, winning the qualification, semifinals, and finals with a solid performance. The 18-year-old was the only one to top all bouldering in the semifinals and, with three tops in the final, won his fourth World Cup gold medal overall—and his third this season after Keqiao and Wujiang.
I'm not thinking about winning the entire World Cup, but rather concentrating on each individual event.
Sorato Anraku
France was also represented on the podium in the men’s competition: Mejdi Schalck finished second with two final tops and took his seventh podium finish in the World Cup. Bronze went to Japan's Tomoa Narasaki, who stood on a World Cup podium for the 26th time in Curitiba.
With Narasaki and Anraku, but also Yuji Fujiwaki and Sohta Amagasa, Team Japan provided 50 percent of the men's and women's finals, in which since the new regulation Eight athletes each competed. The lower places in the men's final were taken by Slovenia's Anze Peharc, France's Paul Jenft, and Jan-Luca Posch of Austria.
World Cup atmosphere with over 1.000 spectators
As the first host of an IFSC World Cup in South America, host country Brazil showed its best side: Around 1.200 visitors attended the event in Curitiba and loudly supported the participating athletes.
The next stop of the 2025 World Cup season is in Salt Lake City, where the Paraclimbing World Cup will be held from May 21 to 22 and another Bouldering World Cup from May 23 to 25.
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Credits cover photo: IFSC