The IFSC Climbing World Cup Comunidad de Madrid 2025 concluded with two climbers celebrating their first-ever World Cup golds in the Lead discipline. Annie Sanders of the USA and Lee Dohyun of South Korea rose to the top of tightly contested finals, each securing the brightest medal with the slightest margin.

SANDERS CLIMBS INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS

Sanders claimed her first Lead World Cup victory with a commanding top on the final route, the only one of the round. As she clipped the final quickdraw, Sanders was visibly emotional, overwhelmed by a moment that marked a major milestone in her still very young career.

"I'm honestly still in shock right now, I'm super excited to have executed well enough to win the gold," said Sanders at the end of the final. "I didn't know what to expect at the beginning of the season, but after the first Lead World Cup in China I know I was capable of doing this, and I'm glad it finally happened."

Laura Rogora of Italy followed in second place with a score of 48+, falling as she attempted to secure the final hold. The Italian repeated her silver-medal performance from Innsbruck, Austria, earlier this season. Brooke Raboutou of the USA matched Rogora’s high point, but placed third based on their semi-final ranking. It is Raboutou’s first World Cup podium since Villars 2023.

Just outside of the podium was Great Britain's Erin McNeice in fourth place, followed by Manon Hily of France in fifth, and Rosa Rekar of Slovenia in sixth. The winner of last week's Lead World Cup in Chamonix, France, Seo Chaehyun of South Korea, slipped early in the final and closed seventh, while Heloïse Doumont of Belgium placed eighth.

For the women’s Lead final complete results click here.

LEE CLAIMS GOLD IN DRAMATIC MEN’S FINAL

Coming from sixth place in the semi-final, South Korea's Lee climbed the best final run of the night, winning his first World Cup gold in Lead with a score of 40+. In a tight battle for the top spot, Lee edged out Spain’s Alberto Ginés López by the smallest of margins: indeed, Ginés López finished with a score of 40 and stood within striking distance of his first-ever World Cup win in Lead.

"This feels unreal, I can't believe it," commented Lee, following his win. "I'm just happy!"

"When I finished my climb, I didn't think it was worth a gold medal, I would have expected fourth or fifth. It was a good experience for me.

"At the end of the Boulder season I was a bit confused, I was disappointed in myself for my results in finals. I started thinking about how to improve myself, everyday, also in Lead, I tried and did my best. Now I'm happy."

Despite the near miss, the Spanish climber earned his fifth podium in five Lead competitions this season and continues to lead the men’s Lead World Cup Ranking presented by Euroholds.

Yoshida Satone of Japan rounded out the podium in third with 39+. After placing first in the semi-final, the Japanese athlete added yet another strong result to his remarkably consistent season: he has not placed lower than fourth in any Lead event in 2025.

USA's Colin Duffy closed with the same score as Yoshida, but placed fourth because of a lower placement in semi-final. Japan's Anraky Sorato, Omata Shion, and Suzuki Neo all followed in fifth, sixth, and seventh position respectively. First-time finalist Jakub Konecny of Czechia closed in eighth.

For the men’s Lead final complete results click here.

NEXT UP

With Comunidad de Madrid 2025 wrapped up, the Lead World Cup season is now only one event away from awarding its season winners, and the appointment is in Koper, Slovenia, on 5 and 6 July. The next IFSC event in the calendar is the Youth World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, from 28 July to 3 August.

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.