Broken records, six German medals, and suspense until the very end: That was the World Championships in Seoul, South Korea. All the results from the four disciplines at a glance.
From 20 to 28 September, the 19th IFSC Climbing World Championships and the 9th Paraclimbing World Championships in Seoul competitions in paraclimbing, Lead, Speed and bouldering We've summarized the most important results of the week and all disciplines.
Janja Garnbret wins double gold in Boulder & Lead
Few people would have doubted her: With a confident performance, Janja Garnbret First in lead and then in bouldering, the world championship title in both disciplines was hers. The Slovenian climbed to the top in the lead final as the only athlete, securing the World Championship gold medal just as she did in Hachioji in 2019 and Paris in 2016. A day later, Garnbret also delivered a convincing performance in bouldering, defending her world championship title from Bern two years earlier with the only top finish on W4.
A very special title. After the 2024 Olympics, I didn't know if I could handle another year of so much competitive pressure.
Janja Garnbret
Garnbret established herself in the lead ahead of her teammate and the 2024 Youth World Champion, Rosa Rekar, who is also a local hero Chaehyun Seo to third place. With Erin McNeice, Annie Sanders and Zelia Avezou Great Britain, the USA, and France were also represented in the lead final. Lucka Rakovec participated as the third finalist from the strong Slovenian team.
Dramatic bouldering finale for Oriane Bertone
The women’s bouldering final remained exciting until the end: France’s Oriane Bertone She put pressure on her competitors early on with her flashes on the first three boulders and briefly came within touching distance of the World Championship title. Nevertheless, a top finish at W4 simply wasn't going to happen – and the Frenchwoman left the door open for Garnbret, who was the only finalist to top all boulders. Garnbret and Bertone shared the podium with US athlete Melina Costanza, who competed brilliantly in her first adult World Championship.
Sorato Anraku secures world championship title in bouldering
The bouldering drama for Team France should repeat itself in the men’s final on Sunday: Mejdi Schalck topped the first three boulders faster than his rivals Sorato Anraku and the darling of the Korean audience, Dohyun LeeNevertheless, the Frenchman failed to achieve the gold-winning top spot on M4 – and Anraku didn't hesitate to seal the deal on his second attempt. It's the 18-year-old Japanese's first world championship title, having narrowly missed the final in 10th place in the lead.
I knew I had to do the last boulder and I'm glad I managed it. I usually get nervous about that, but this time it went well.
Sorato Anraku
Dohyun Lee wins in front of home crowd in the lead
In lead climbing, a top-form Dohyun Lee secured the high point of 43+ together with Satone Yoshida. Because Lee had climbed further than the Japanese in the semifinals, the tie in the final gave the Korean his first World Championship title – in front of an enthusiastic home crowd in Seoul. It was also the first World Championship medal in lead climbing for a male athlete from South Korea. Lee later rounded off his successful World Championships with a bronze medal in bouldering.
I don't know what to say. This is my hometown, and my parents and friends are here—it means so much to me.
Dohyun Lee
Team Japan had two more lead finalists, Taisei Homma and Neo Suzuki, complemented by Spain’s Alberto Gines Lopez, Italy's Giovanni Placci and France's Sam Avezou, who, like his sister Zélia, climbed to 6th place. Jakob Schubert from Austria aimed for his third consecutive World Championship gold in the final, but ended up in 7th place due to an early foot slip.
Two bouldering finals for Germany
With 35 athletes in all four disciplines, Team Germany had a broad field in Seoul. Yannick Nagel and Anna Maria Apel climbed to the semifinals in lead climbing, but the lead final was without a German presence. The situation was different in bouldering: With two top finishes in the semifinals, Apel narrowly secured a place in the final, where she improved to sixth place.
In the men's bouldering competition, Thorben Perry Bloem bouldered his way into the finals in seventh place and was able to maintain his position. The remaining bouldering and lead competitors from Team Germany had previously been eliminated in the qualification of the extremely competitive World Championships.
Speed: Women's world record, silver for Carmanns
At the SpeedIn Seoul, records tumbled over the course of a few days: Aleksandra Miroslaw broke her own world record with a new personal best of 6,03 seconds – and came closer than ever to the 6-second mark. The exceptional Polish climber and Olympic champion from Paris secured her third World Championship title in Seoul.
In the men's speed final, Leander Carmanns won the only German medal at the World Championships outside of paraclimbing. Although the 20-year-old from Düsseldorf lost silver to Jianguo Long of China, he set a new German and European record in the round of 16 with his personal best time of 4,86 seconds.
Five German medals in paraclimbing
In the 9. paraclimbingMedals were awarded in 19 categories at the World Championships. A strong German team won two gold medals, one silver medal, and two bronze medals. The various disability categories describe limitations or amputations of the participants' upper limbs; the B categories include participants with visual impairments. Athletes with neurological or physiological limitations compete in the RP categories.
- Gold: Kevin Bartke, AU2
- Gold: Rosalie Schaupert, AU3
- Silver: Korbinian Franck, RP1
- Bronze: Philipp Hrozek, RP2
- Bronze: Luisa Grube, B2
Next World Cup: Brno 2027
Unlike the World Cup, the World Championships only take place every two years. Adam Ondra's hometown of Brno, Czech Republic, has already been announced as the host city for 2027.
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Credits cover photo: Emiliano Villani/IFSC