Lead climbers enjoy challenge and history that Chamonix brings
If the 2025 Lead season has taught us anything it’s that making a good start to a World Cup can be key come podium time.
With countback making the difference for the men in Innsbruck and a historic shared medal for the women early in the season, looking at the names at the top of the men’s Lead qualification you can tell they are taking things seriously.
Great Britain’s Toby Roberts made his ‘return’ in Innsbruck taking Boulder gold and a silver in Lead after a disappointing season by his standards, looking to make sure it wasn’t just a one-off, the Olympic champion topped both qualification routes – and was the only one to do so.
That meant Roberts was in first position, and just behind was his friend and rival – Japan’s Anraku Sorato. Anraku was one of five climbers that topped a route, and all five progress to the semi-finals.
Roberts topped both, Anraku topped route 1, as did Spain’s Alberto Ginés López and Japan’s Suzuki Neo, and route 2 was topped by another Japanese climber, Yoshida Satone.
USA’s Colin Duffy won last year in Chamonix, and he will continue his gold medal defence by progressing in 12th alongside teammate Jesse Grupper who was joint 13th.
Sitting in 13th with Grupper was China’s Pan Yufei and home nation climber Sam Avezou. Avezou is joined by a teammate also in the semi-final as Max Bertone progressed in 21st.
One spot behind the three way 13th place tie in 16th was Germany’s Alexander Megos, who even after his first qualification run was liking what he was seeing: “For now qualification is okay. I think it’s really good this time that you don’t have to top both routes in Chamonix to be through to semis.
“The routes, I mean I’ve only climbed one so far, but it’s really good. Good route setting so far.”
Megos, and his teammates Yannick Nagel and Yannick Flohe must have all liked the route setting as they all made it through in the top 24.
The 24th spot was taken by Italy’s Stefano Ghisolfi. Ghisolfi has been on the circuit for a long time, but it is his first World Cup in close to a year, but you only need to make the top 24 to progress to the next round, and that is what he did. The next challenge will be the top eight.
Full men’s qualification Lead results here
USA’s Annie Sanders showed the way into the women’s lead semi-final with a two tops display in Chamonix. The American has started to become a regular visitor to the IFSC World Cup podiums lately and once again she is looking good to challenge for more silverware.
Sanders was the only climber to top route 1, but Italy’s Laura Rogora and Slovenia’s Rosa Rekar also both topped route 2 which helped them progress into the semi-final.
World Cup watchers were buoyed by the return of Janja Garnbret last time out in Innsbruck, and while the Slovenian is not in Chamonix, the crowds were treated to another popular returning climber – USA’s Olympic silver medallist Brooke Raboutou.
Despite a competition hiatus, Raboutou returned to action by finishing in fifth overall meaning the Chamonix crowds will get to see the American climb once more in semi-finals.
With Rekar in the top three, and Lucka Rakovec in sixth after returning to the World Cup scene in Innsbruck after a long medical lay-off, Slovenia are well placed for some final representation yet again, and Lucija Tarkus is hoping she can add her name to that list.
Speaking after her qualification runs Tarkus said: “I was pretty nervous before the start because it was my first Lead competition of the year, and I focussed more on Boulder for the first part of the season, so I wasn’t fully confident with my Lead performance.
“I made a bit of a stupid mistake on the first one and I knew I have to climb really high on the second route, and I’m really happy that I did it I feel it.”
Even with a ‘stupid mistake’ Tarkus finished in 15th overall for her place in the semi-final.
The home nation, France, have three climbers in the top 24 with Camille Pouget the highest in eighth. Pouget is joined by Zélia Avezou and Manon Hily in the next round.
The nation with the most climbers in the semi-final may not be surprising - Team Japan. However, despite four climbers in the top 24 the highest positioned is Hirano Natsumi in 16th. Tanii Natsuki is climber placed in 24thand the last semi-finalist.
Other notable names through to the semi-final are Belgium’s Heloïse Doumont who made her first final appearance in Innsbruck and up-and-coming Geila Macià Martín from Spain. There will be South American representation from Brazil's Anja Köhler while Oceania Mackenzie will fly the flag for her namesake continent.
Full women’s qualification Lead results here
News and updates about the event will be available on the IFSC website and on the Federation’s digital channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, and exclusively for the Chinese audience, Douyin, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu.
