Top Contenders Gear Up for Bouldering Competition: Elite Climbers Aim for Medals as They Reunite with the Wall for the Pre-Finale Event of the 2025 Climbing World Cup
In the upcoming World Cup bouldering competition, held at Bern, Switzerland, 18-year-old phenom Sorato Anraku is poised to stretch his advantage and potentially seal the title. With an impressive streak of three wins out of four competitions this year, Anraku sits comfortably atop the leaderboard.
Alas, the women's competition has been anything but predictable, as no single climber has managed a repeat victory. The chase for gold includes Oriane Bertone from France, along with fellow contenders Annie Sanders from America and Japan's Nakamura Mao.
Here's a glimpse into what to expect and how to catch the action from the fifth bouldering round of this season's climbing World Cup.
Contenders to watch
The force to be reckoned with this year is none other than Sorato Anraku. With an almost perfect score of 99.7 in the season opener, he's been unstoppable ever since, grabbing three consecutive bouldering golds. With a commanding lead on the table, Anraku has proven himself to be a formidable competitor.
Although Mejdi Schalck from France managed a remarkable victory in last week's event, it wasn't enough to unseat Anraku's lead. Schalck, with impressive performances at 20, will aim to repeat his triumph in Bern, keeping the competition hot till the final round in Innsbruck, Austria.
South Korea's Dohyun Lee is also a solid contender after a consistent bouldering season. Before Schalck's win, Lee had come incredibly close to challenging Anraku, finishing just 0.4 points behind him in the first round.
IFSC World Cup: A look back and ahead
The women's bouldering competition this year has been exciting and unpredictable, largely due to the absence of two dominating figures—Slovenia's Janja Garnbret and World Champion Natalia Grossman.
Without these talented competitors, there has been a new victor in every bouldering round of the 2025 World Cup. Oriane Bertone, with a consistent season and a narrow loss of 0.1 points to her compatriot Naile Meignan in the second event, stands as a leading contender for gold.
Japan's Nakamura Mao and American teen Annie Sanders are also strong candidates. Mao, 25, brings years of IFSC experience and clinched a decisive gold in Salt Lake City, USA, last month. Sanders, just 17, displayed a promising future with a fourth-place finish in the 2024 bouldering competition. Unfazed by her lack of experience, Sanders claimed a surprise gold in the first round of 2025 and has since remained in medal contention.
With another gold in Bern, either competitor would find themselves in prime position for the series victory.
Schedule and how to watch
Qualification- Women's qualification: June 13, 12am PT / 3am EST / 8am BST- Men's qualification: June 13, 6.30am PT / 9.30am EST / 2.30pm BST
Semi-finals and finals- Women's semi-finals: June 14, 1pm PT / 4am EST / 9am BST- Women's final: June 14, 8am PT / 11pm EST / 4pm BST- Men's semi-finals: June 15, 1pm PT / 4am EST / 9am BST- Men's final: June 15, 8am PT / 11pm EST / 4pm BST
For those unable to watch live, regular updates and highlights will be available on the IFSC website and digital channels.
Stay tuned for more exciting coverage of the IFSC World Cup, as well as great insights on climbing gear and films on inspiring mountain adventures!
What is the IFSC World Cup?
The IFSC World Cup is a year-long competition consisting of head-to-head challenges in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering events. With 14 World Cup stages held worldwide, points earned from each event are tallied for climbers to be ranked on separate leaderboards in each discipline. The rankings determine the eventual world champions.
For more information on the IFSC World Cup, visit the IFSC official website.
The upcoming World Cup bouldering competition is not just about Sorato Anraku's potential title, as the women's bouldering competition has been exceedingly unpredictable. Oriane Bertone from France, Annie Sanders from America, and Japan's Nakamura Mao are strong contenders in the women's bouldering competition, with each athlete promising to put up a fierce fight for gold.
