Having a World Championships is not a new thing for Climbing, but the IFSC Para Climbing World Championships Seoul 2025 is the first since the sport was confirmed in the Paralympic Games programme.

LA28 will be the first time a Para Climbing medal will be won, but in Seoul, South Korea this week, the IFSC has to crown its own champions and medallists.

Such is the peak in interest for the sport, new countries will compete as China and home nation South Korea register competitors for the first time and returning nations such as Hungary and South Africa are welcomed back on the world stage.

There are many returning champions from Bern 2023 who will be looking for a title defence, and one of those climbers is Brazil’s Marina Dias who has returned to strength just in time: “After falling ill last year and missing some competitions, the 2025 season has been great so far. I’ve reached the podium in every event I’ve entered, and I’ve been learning from my weaknesses, recovering from injuries, and improving my overall performance.

“I feel I’ve done everything possible to prepare for the most important competition of the year.”

Being a world champion often brings with it the weight of expectation, but how does Dias feel about it?

“I initially felt that pressure, from myself actually, after getting back to competitions earlier this year, after I had recovered from an emergency surgery in 2024, but now after a few comps I feel that what matters is the process, doing everything I can to perform at my peak. The results are a consequence.

“But of course I want to defend my title and reach the top and have been preparing for this. Winning gold again for Brazil would make me incredibly happy, and I know that it would have a significant impact for our sport in Brazil, perhaps more than it would in other countries.”

Dias came into climbing late in life only starting in 2022, but she has seen rapid progress and success, and maybe it is down to being an older athlete: “I feel that everything I have been through in my life, from getting diagnosed with a chronic illness, getting a PhD, to becoming a professor, has prepared me to handle the intense emotional pressure of competitions.

“While physical strength is essential, during the competition our mental state has a significant impact on our performance. But of course, having a full-time job also leaves me less time to train, so becoming an athlete later in life when we have a career and other responsibilities also has its trade-offs.”

There are sure to be more like Dias coming to climbing a little later and trying to rise quickly now the sport will feature at the Paralympics so Dias is a great example of what can be achieved.

But first, Dias has a World Championships to take on: “I’ve been preparing to defend my title and bring another gold medal to Brazil. Although my competitors have gotten stronger, I believe I’m in the best shape of my life.

“I hope it’s an amazing competition; it’s such a privilege to defend Brazil’s first-ever world championship title in Para Climbing and I’m really happy to represent Brazil once again.”

Representing the USA is Brian Zarzuela who, at 28, is younger that 42-year-old Dias, has been competing longer and shows the wide range of people and experience within Para Climbing.

Zarzuela was eighth in his first World Championships outing in 2019, but since then has made the podium at all World Cup and World Champs he has entered. A return of 12 medals from 13 events, although so far, the world title has eluded him.

Talking about his year Zarzuela said: “I’ve been mostly happy with my performance so far this year. After placing first in both nationals in California and the Salt Lake City World Cup, placing second at the World Cup in Innsbruck due to time wasn’t of course the result I wanted, but the goal for the year hasn’t changed. Instead, I’ve used it to fuel my training for the World Championships even more.”

About the event specifically Zarzuela said: “I feel really prepared for the World Championships. This has been a steady goal of mine since coming so close at the previous World Championships in Bern in 2023. For two years I’ve trained consistently for this moment and I’m excited to have the opportunity to show what I can do.”

Zarzuela will be pushing to compete at a home Paralympics in three years’ time, and the American has a message to all newcomers to the sport: “Anyone watching the Para Climbing World Championships, especially if it’s your first Para Climbing event, should check out the IFSC and USA Climbing for a brief breakdown of the categories competing this week. And anyone excited for LA28 should pay special attention to the who will be the ones to watch as we’re now less than three years away.”

Three years may seem like a long time, but it will come around quickly, but such is the longevity of the Para Climbing athletes we will undoubtedly see some of the winners in action when climbing makes its Paralympic debut.

Out of the 20 champions in 2023, all but two will return to try and defend their titles just like Dias.

Dias has competition from USA’s Nat Vorel in the women’s RP3 who has won the two Para World Cups in 2025. Zarzuela has to overcome current world champion Norway’s Isak Ripman in the men’s AU2.

When you look at strong teams the French have standout names like Solenne Piret, Lucie Jarrige, Aloïs Pottier and Thierry Delarue who are all current world champs in their respective categories and don’t look like letting them up anytime soon with consistent, strong World Cup showings.

Austria has rivals Angelino Zeller and Markus Pösendorfer going head-to-head in the men’s AL1 category and Jasmin Plank who will fight it out with Norway’s Dina Eivik, among others, in the women’s RP2.

Japan’s Aita Sho has five world titles in the men’s B1 and the team also boast other world champions like Hamanoue Fumiya and Takano Tadashi.

But it’s not all about the teams. The spread of countries as world champions also features Great Britain’s Abigail Robinson, Belgium’s Pavitra Vandenhoven, and Romania’s Cosmin Florin Candoi.

There are also sole entries from countries like Canada’s Kevin Bolusi, Czechia’s Frantisek Rys, Denmark’s Peter Tramm and New Zealand’s Rachel Maia who will be looking to make their mark on the podiums. It’s going to be quite a show.

The Para Climbing action starts on Saturday 20 September with the first of two sessions of qualification before finals begin on Wednesday 24 September.