Promising talent Annie Sanders takes center stage in a nail-biting penultimate lead climbing round of the 2025 Climbing World Cup, holding her own against fierce competition.
The final round of the 2025 International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup series will take place in Koper, Slovenia, starting on September 5. This highly-anticipated event promises an exciting conclusion to a year-long competition spanning 14 different stages held across the globe.
The Disciplines
The competition includes lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions, each showcasing the world's best climbers.
Lead Climbing and Speed Climbing
In lead climbing and speed climbing, athletes compete to reach the highest hold or climb the shortest, standardized 15-meter wall the fastest, respectively. The format at each event includes qualifications, semifinals, and finals.
For lead climbing, climbers attempt a long, difficult route clipped to protection, with success depending on reaching the highest hold. In speed climbing, competitors race head-to-head for the fastest time on a standardized 15-meter wall.
Bouldering
Bouldering competitions involve climbers attempting short but very technical routes ("problems") without ropes on a crash mat. A standardized bouldering competition structure has been developed to maintain consistency for training and elite events.
The Leaders
As the competition nears its conclusion, Japanese climber Sorato Anraku remains the favourite for the lead climbing series victory. In the women's lead climbing table, Chaehyun Seo and Erin McNeice currently lead, each having won two gold medals.
The Final Round
The final round of the competition will decide the series winners for the 2025 competition. In the men's lead climbing competition, Dohyun Lee of South Korea emerged victorious in Madrid with a score of 40+ points, while Alberto Gines Lopez of Spain finished second with the same score. However, neither Seo nor McNeice made the podium in Madrid, allowing Annie Sanders to win unexpectedly and change the series standings.
In the women's lead climbing competition, Sanders also triumphed, cementing her status as one of sport climbing's brightest young talents. Sorato Anraku finished in fifth place in Madrid, but remains the only climber to have won two lead competitions this season.
The women's lead climbing series will be decided at the final round in Koper, Slovenia. The IFSC World Cup rankings determine the eventual world champions, making the final round a crucial moment for all competitors.
The IFSC World Cup series for Lead climbing, Speed climbing, and Bouldering operates as a multi-event international competition circuit where athletes participate in separate events for each discipline. Each World Cup event awards points based on rankings that accumulate over the season, leading to overall season winners in each discipline.
The events draw large crowds and showcase the world’s best climbers. The IFSC World Cup Chamonix 2025, for example, had a schedule with Speed qualifications and finals on Friday and Saturday evenings, and Lead qualifications, semifinals, and finals spread across Saturday and Sunday.
Regardless of the outcome, the final round in Koper, Slovenia, promises to be an unforgettable event for both competitors and spectators alike.
Spectators and competitors alike are eagerly anticipating the exciting conclusion of the 2025 IFSC World Cup series, particularly the lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions that will showcase the world's best climbers.
The final round in Koper, Slovenia, will decide the series winners for each discipline, with the women's lead climbing series being a crucial moment for all competitors, as it will determine the eventual world champions according to the IFSC World Cup rankings.
