World champions decided in tense Climbing World Cup final in Seoul

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A thrilling final leg of the IFSC Climbing World Cup was full of surprises as the world champions were decided

Jessica Pilz
Jessica Pilz snagged gold in women's lead climbing (Image credit: Getty Images)

The final event of the 2024 IFSC Climbing World Cup has come and gone with this year's climbing world champions now decided. 

After nine rounds, which began in April and took place all over the globe, results were finalized at the final leg in Seoul, South Korea. Favorites Japan topped the combined table, with 21 medals, including seven golds across both men’s and women’s speed, lead and bouldering events. Coming a not so close second, the USA also had seven golds, but only 12 medals in total. 

Austrian Jessica Pilz snatched gold in the women’s lead competition, winning the final round with a quick, inventive climb. Gold in Seoul took Pilz to the top of the overall leader board, narrowly ahead Olympic champion and heavy favorite Janja Garnbret in second. 

Despite missing the final event in Seoul, Toby Roberts’ gargantuan lead in the men’s lead competition was enough to secure him the top spot. IFSC gold is the cherry on top of a fantastic year for the 19-year-old, who won Great Britain’s first ever Olympic climbing gold in Paris over the summer. Finishing third overall, Japanese prodigy Sorato Anraku won gold in the final leg in Seoul.

Sorato Anraku

17-year-old Sorato Anraku competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics (Image credit: Getty Images)

“I’m just happy to get a [lead climbing] medal this year,” Anraku told the IFSC website. “This competition, Toby (Roberts) didn’t compete, so I am happy now, but I have to train more for next year. I want to beat Toby.”

Climbing with skill well beyond his years, 17-year-old Anraku had his fortunes reversed in the men’s bouldering competition, topping the 2024 leader board to claim his title as world champion despite a final leg loss to South Korea’s Dohyun Lee.

American climber Anastasia Sanders took home the final gold in the women’s bouldering competition, but missed out on the overall medals table as her compatriot Natalie Grossman became world champion. After crashing out in the early stages of a disappointing Olympics, Grossman made her triumphant comeback with a consistently brilliant bouldering campaign, winning gold in the earlier Salt Lake City and Prague legs of the competition. 

In the men's speed climbing discipline, world record holder Samuel Watson became America's first ever speed climbing world champion despite China's Xinshan Wang winning gold in Seoul. 

It was a similar story in the women's speed climbing. Despite missing out to her compatriot Yafei Zhou, Chineese climber Lijuan Deng claimed just enough points to take her crown as the women's speed climbing world champion. 

Split over nine legs, the IFSC Climbing World Cup pits the world's best climbers against each other in Lead, Speed and Boulder climbing competitions. With events all around the globe, climbers are ranked on a leader board which decides the eventual world champions. 

Next year’s IFSC Climbing World Cup kicks off in Shaoxing, China next April. 

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Will Symons
Will Symons
Staff Writer

Will Symons developed his love of the outdoors as a student, exploring every inch of Sussex’s South Downs national park and wild swimming off the Brighton seafront. Now a Staff Writer for Advnture, Will previously worked as a freelance journalist and writer, covering everything from cricket to ancient history. Like most Advnture staff, Will’s time is rarely spent indoors, he can often be found hiking, wild swimming or playing cricket.