Women's bouldering goes to the wire after unstoppable Anraku dominates again in the latest climbing World Cup
Naile Meignan won her first-ever World Cup gold in Curitiba. | Credit: Getty Images
The fourth climbing World Cup competition of the 2025 season concluded over the weekend after two thrilling days of climbing in Curitiba, Brazil. Round four was the second bouldering event of the year.
Advertisement
Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.
Women's competition
The women's competition ended with a thrilling finish as France's Naile Meignan beat her compatriot Oriane Bertone by just 0.1 points.
Both were near-flawless throughout the competition, cruising through qualifying and the semi-finals before their tense final encounter in front of 1,200 spectators.
21-year-old Meignan came out on top following two near-perfect performances, in which she notched up 99.6 points and Bertone scored 99.5.
The knife-edge victory represents Meignan's first-ever World Cup gold, while Bertone, who's only 20 herself, earned her tenth podium finish.
Advertisement
"It feels amazing to win in my first competition of the year. I wasn't expecting to be this good, but for sure it feels great," an ecstatic Meignan told the IFSC after the event.
'I was a bit tense on the first boulder, but then I felt more confident and was able to flash the following three problems."
This year's women's climbing competition looks a little different due to the absence of two of the world's best all-around climbers.
45-time World Cup gold medalist Janja Garnbret will miss most of this season as she takes time to rest, while world champion Natalia Grossman is recovering from long-term knee injuries.
Men's competition
The men's competition ended in a familiar fashion, as Japan's Sorato Anraku won his third gold of the season with a composed and powerful climb in the final.
Advertisement
The 18-year-old dominated the early rounds, leading in qualifying and the semi-finals, before racking up 69.7 points in the final, 10.8 more points than second-placed Mejdi Schalck of France.
Victory in Curitiba puts clear water between Anraku and anyone else in the bouldering competition after another gold in the season opener in Keqiao, China.
The teenage prodigy also tops the lead climbing table and is quickly establishing himself as the world's best multi-discipline male climber.
"I'm very happy for my second World Cup gold in a row," he told the IFSC after the final.
"I'm not thinking about winning the Series, I will focus on one event at a time, so now it's time to focus on Salt Lake City (the next event)."
Advertisement
Anraku burst onto the scene with an unstoppable run in last season's bouldering competition. By the close, he'd amassed a whopping 500 points more than anyone else, to claim his title as the world's best male boulderer.
What is the IFSC World Cup?
The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.
Sorato Anraku is leads 2025/26 bouldering World Cup table | Credit: Getty Images
It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.
Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.
What's next?
The world's best boulderers have little time to rest as the next IFSC World Cup is also a bouldering event and takes place from May 23 to 25 in Salt Lake City, USA.
Advertisement
You can also check out the first para-climbing World Cup of the year, which is also in Salt Lake City, on May 21 and 22.
The upcoming event is the first of three para-climbing World Cup competitions this season and pits the world's best climbers living with disabilities against one another over two tense days of competition.
For more on para-climbing, check out our expert guide.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sarina Wiegman v Montse Tome – managers battling for Euro 2025 glory
Sunday's Euro 2025 final offers up a rematch of the 2023 World Cup final as England seek revenge against Spain. Both England boss Sarina Wiegman and Spain coach Montse Tome were on the sidelines for Spain's 1-0 win in Sydney two years ago, but where Wiegman was seeking a second major trophy with the Lionesses, Tome was then assistant to Jorge Vilda. Here, the PA news agency take a look at the two women who will lead their sides out in Basel. Sarina WiegmanWiegman's appointment in September 2021 was a statement from England. The FA hired a manager who had won Euro 2017 with the Netherlands on home soil before guiding her home country to the final of the 2019 World Cup, gaining global recognition as one of the very best in the game. That success has continued with England. Her arrival was delayed by the postponed Tokyo Olympics but Wiegman took over what had been a struggling side and instantly delivered results, culminating in victory at Euro 2022 less than a year into her reign. That success at Wembley made Wiegman the first coach to deliver back-to-back European titles for different nations. They followed it up with a win over world champions the United States before adding the Arnold Clark Cup and the Finalissima to the trophy cabinet. The following year, amid rumours that rival nations wanted to poach Wiegman, England reached the final of the World Cup despite missing several key players, but Olga Carmona's goal broke English hearts as Wiegman finished a World Cup runner-up again. Despite that disappointment, the FA's faith in Wiegman was clear as she signed a new contract through to 2027. Montse Tome Spain's moment of glory in Australia was swiftly followed by controversy. RFEF boss Luis Rubiales kissed forward Jennifer Hermoso during the trophy presentation – for which he was later found guilty of sexual assault – and when he was forced out of the federation, coach Jorge Vilda also followed. Out of that, Tome stepped up from her position as an assistant to become the first female coach of the Spanish team. The former midfielder, capped five times in a playing career during which she won two Spanish titles, one with Levante and one with Barcelona, moved into coaching straight after her retirement in 2018 and was appointed to Vilda's staff in the same year after gaining her UEFA Pro Licence. When she stepped up to the top job in 2023 there were question marks over whether she was ready and although Spain won the Nations League in February 2024, beating France in the final, those critics returned after they finished fourth at the Paris Olympics. But Spain have won every game so far at Euro 2025 and if they finish it off with the trophy on Sunday, those doubters will be silenced.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Syosset soccer phenom preps for longtime dream debut with US national team
America is getting its first taste of Long Island's finest. Loradana Paletta, Syosset's soccer phenom who inked an NIL deal at age 14, is ready to showcase her star-caliber talents to the world by debuting with the USA's under-17 national team this week. Advertisement 'It's always been a dream when I was little — being on the national team,' Paletta told The Post just before joining training camp for the Four Nations Tournament vs. Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada, which begins Saturday in Mexico City. 'I really want to make the U-17 World Cup roster, which is coming up soon. … For long-term goals, definitely the [senior] World Cup — winning gold,' added the midfielder, who initially was 'really happy, excited, terrified, nervous.' 11 Loradana Paletta, 14, poses for a portrait at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay, N.Y. on July 21, 2025. Paletta signed her first NIL deal at age 14 with the Italian sportswear brand Lotto. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 11 Loradana Paletta is debuting with the USA's under-17 team this week. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Advertisement 11 Loradana Paletta, 14, poses for a portrait. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Pitch perfect Paletta — the team's youngest member and a last-second call-up for the tournament — has been on the national U-16 team for about a year, where she has already thrived among the girls, many of whom are two years older than her. 'I try to stay humble and not really brag about it,' the soon-to-be ninth grader at Syosset High School said. Advertisement 'I do tell my close friends, but I don't really tell anybody else. They really just find out.' Now, her story resonates well beyond the teen cliques of the North Shore. Paletta became the first American athlete — professional or amateur — to sign a deal with the luxe Italian cleat and gear brand Lotto. She was plastered all over social media in a hype video for the mid-July announcement and received widespread praise from the soccer world. Paletta, who proudly sports tons of vividly colored cleats from Lotto, is interested in designing her own cleats someday as part of her branding portfolio. 11 Loradana Paletta shows off her cleats in a photoshoot. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Advertisement 11 Loradana Paletta shows off her cleats in a photoshoot. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'Maybe in high school I could learn more about the business side of things,' she said. 'But right now, I just want to focus on my game and getting ready.' Girl power Paletta said that she doesn't balk at the pressure of playing the nation's best soccer stars who are years older than her — and the young teen has her family to thank for that. 'My dad always put me in teams with boys since I was little, even if they were two or three years older than me,' she said. 11 Loradana Paletta, 14, poses for photos at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay, N.Y. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'I always had a passion — I wanted to be better than them … playing with the boys makes me stronger.' Along with her soccer die-hard father Alain's eagerness of challenging Paletta to reach new heights, older brothers Gianluca, 17, and Leonardo, 15, also played their part. 'My brothers really toughen me up, and just really make me a better version of myself. I can be a leader around them,' said Paletta, who added her 5-year-old sister, Luvisa, is next in line for football greatness. Advertisement 11 Loradana Paletta pictured juggling a soccer ball. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 11 Loradana Paletta pictured juggling a soccer ball. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'They motivate me. They're always there for me whenever I need them, especially when it comes to soccer. They would always pull me and go out to the field. It's just nice to have big brothers there to support me.' The family boot camp was so successful that Paletta was in such high demand with male teams that one even adjusted its schedule so she could play with them. Advertisement Aside from Team USA, Paletta is also part of NYCFC's boys U-14 academy squad, just like her brother Leonardo, who plays on the U-18 team. 11 Loradana Paletta shoots the ball into the net. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 11 Loradana Paletta Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'My family is just my biggest supporters — my mom, my dad, my brothers, my little sister, they just all really connect to my story.' Advertisement And whether it's at home or abroad, keeping a top-tier standard is priority number one for the future World Cup hopeful. 'I'm going to give it my all and play the best that I can because I don't want to disappoint anybody,' Paletta said. 11 Loradana Paletta blasts a soccer ball into the goal. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'Also, I just want to be myself. Soccer brings me joy and love — and that's the sport that I fell in love with, too.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sarina Wiegman v Montse Tome – managers battling for Euro 2025 glory
Sunday's Euro 2025 final offers up a rematch of the 2023 World Cup final as England seek revenge against Spain. Both England boss Sarina Wiegman and Spain coach Montse Tome were on the sidelines for Spain's 1-0 win in Sydney two years ago, but where Wiegman was seeking a second major trophy with the Lionesses, Tome was then assistant to Jorge Vilda. Here, the PA news agency take a look at the two women who will lead their sides out in Basel. Sarina WiegmanWiegman's appointment in September 2021 was a statement from England. The FA hired a manager who had won Euro 2017 with the Netherlands on home soil before guiding her home country to the final of the 2019 World Cup, gaining global recognition as one of the very best in the game. That success has continued with England. Her arrival was delayed by the postponed Tokyo Olympics but Wiegman took over what had been a struggling side and instantly delivered results, culminating in victory at Euro 2022 less than a year into her reign. That success at Wembley made Wiegman the first coach to deliver back-to-back European titles for different nations. They followed it up with a win over world champions the United States before adding the Arnold Clark Cup and the Finalissima to the trophy cabinet. The following year, amid rumours that rival nations wanted to poach Wiegman, England reached the final of the World Cup despite missing several key players, but Olga Carmona's goal broke English hearts as Wiegman finished a World Cup runner-up again. Despite that disappointment, the FA's faith in Wiegman was clear as she signed a new contract through to 2027. Montse Tome Spain's moment of glory in Australia was swiftly followed by controversy. RFEF boss Luis Rubiales kissed forward Jennifer Hermoso during the trophy presentation – for which he was later found guilty of sexual assault – and when he was forced out of the federation, coach Jorge Vilda also followed. Out of that, Tome stepped up from her position as an assistant to become the first female coach of the Spanish team. The former midfielder, capped five times in a playing career during which she won two Spanish titles, one with Levante and one with Barcelona, moved into coaching straight after her retirement in 2018 and was appointed to Vilda's staff in the same year after gaining her UEFA Pro Licence. When she stepped up to the top job in 2023 there were question marks over whether she was ready and although Spain won the Nations League in February 2024, beating France in the final, those critics returned after they finished fourth at the Paris Olympics. But Spain have won every game so far at Euro 2025 and if they finish it off with the trophy on Sunday, those doubters will be silenced.
