The 2025 IFSC Lead World Cup series title will be won in Koper, Slovenia
As the final IFSC Lead World Cup of the 2025 season finishes the first round of competition, the series title race is hotting up while the climbing stars are on show to add to their already impressive medal tally’s.
Qualification ended at the Plus Climbing venue in Koper, Slovenia with a mix of climbers who haven’t competed much in 2026 blended with the climbers who have been going all out for the overall titles.
Unsurprisingly, even with injury layoffs and time out to digest a hectic Olympic adventure, Austria’s Jakob Schubert and Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret are holding a joint first place in their respective competitions.
Schubert topped both qualification routes and shares first place with the Japanese duo of Yoshida Satone and Anraku Sorato and Great Britain’s Toby Roberts from the 70 starters.
Garnbret sits alongside South Korea’s Seo Chaehyun in first from the 60 women who started their competition, again with two tops.
Speaking about her qualification Garnbret said: “Qualification was really good. I feel very comfortable in Koper.
“The crowd of course, it brings more pressure, but still I’m really enjoying the crowd, the kids, my family is here, my friends are here, and I really enjoyed qualis today. I felt really good and I’m happy with my climbing and I’m looking forward to semis.”
Speaking about his qualification round Schubert said: “I mean it was my first international competition since the Olympics, so I definitely felt a little rusty and way more nervous in the first qualification than I have in a while I think, but I was happy.”
The Austrian double Olympic medallist has missed the 2025 season through injury, but feels he is back, and just in time with a World Championships coming up: “To be honest I struggled with some injuries since the Olympics last year. I probably trained a little bit too much. You know there was so much motivation going to the Olympics. I really wanted to achieve the best result in my career and my body together but after it said ‘it’s over.
"I had a few injuries in the fall and then in January I did one of my last boulder simulations and injured my finger, and it turned out to be a much worse injury than I thought and I really struggled. It’s still not completely healed, but it finally feels way better, and I feel like I can try hard again.”
Sitting in first with Garnbret, South Korea’s Seo is gunning for the series win and has drawn first blood against her rival, Great Britain’s Erin McNeice.
McNeice did top one of the routes and ended qualification in fifth, so they title fight continues into the semi-finals later today.
Also topping a route were Slovenia’s Lucka Rakovec and Italy’s Laura Rogora, and they progress in joint third position.
While Rogora will be the sole representative from her nation, Rakovec is joined by four of her teammates who will give the semi-final crowd something to cheer. Garnbret leads the way with Rakovec just behind, Lucija Tarkus is ninth, Rosa Rekar is 23rd and Mia Krampl is in the final semi-final spot of 24th alongside Spain’s Geila Macià Martín which means the women will have 25 semi-finalists.
Some of the other notable climbers through to the women’s semi-final are Belgium’s Heloïse Doumont who made her first final this season in 11th alongside the evergreen Kim Jain of South Korea. Austria’s Jessica Pilz continues her return to action in 15th.
For the women's Lead complete results click here.
The men’s series battle seems to be heading to either Japan with Satone or Spain with Alberto Ginés López, and with Satone in first in qualification he has the slight advantage.
Ginés López sits in sixth and was the only other men’s competition climber to top a route outside of the four that share the lead. Splitting Ginés López and the top climbers is France’s Sam Avezou in fifth.
The hopes of a home nation win in the men’s competition lands on Luka Potocar’s shoulders as the only Slovenian through to the semi-finals. Potocar was seventh in qualification, but he has won in Koper before.
The experienced duo of Czechia’s Adam Ondra and Italy’s Stefano Ghisolfi will climb again in semi-finals and will contest a finals spot with the likes of Indonesia’s Putra Tri Ramadani and France’s Max Bertone who had strong climbs.
The climber in the 24th spot was South Korea’s Noh Hyunseung, and he is one of three from the next World Championships host country with Kwon Kibeom and Lee Dohyun also through to the semi-final.
For the men's Lead complete results click 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, Bilibili, Douyin, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu.
