After a long day of climbing, Sanders and Yoshida rise to first in semi-finals.
After a full day of competition in Madrid that began with Lead qualifications, athletes returned to the wall for the evening’s semi-finals at the IFSC Climbing World Cup Madrid 2025.
SANDERS' SOLE TOP IS WORTH THE FIRST SEED
USA’s Annie Sanders delivered the only top of the evening across both fields, securing first place in the women’s Lead semi-finals. Her flawless ascent confirmed once again the American’s growing form, as she aims to improve from the second place she took in Chamonix, France, less than one week ago. Behind Sanders, Laura Rogora of Italy and Seo Chaehyun of South Korea both reached 46+ to tie for second place.
Slovenia’s Rosa Rekar added a third Lead final to her 2025 résumé by finishing fifth with 43+, building on earlier finishes of eighth in Bali, Indonesia, and fourth in Innsbruck, Austria.
"Before I started climbing I was nervous because of the press move," Rekar shared. "But once I did the move I was able to relax a little bit and fight, which I’m really happy about. I feel super happy about being in final again, I’m excited for tomorrow."
The eight finalists in the women's Lead event are as follows:
- Annie SANDERS (USA)
- Laura ROGORA (ITA)
- CHAEHYUN SEO (KOR)
- Brooke RABOUTOU (USA)
- Rosa REKAR (SLO)
- Erin MCNEICE (GBR)
- Manon HILY (FRA)
- Heloïse DOUMONT (BEL)
For the women's Lead semi-final complete results click here.
JAPAN LEADS MEN'S PACK IN TIGHT FINISH
On the men’s side, Yoshida Satone of Japan edged out the competition with a high point of 47+, narrowly ahead of home favourite Alberto Ginés López of Spain and Suzuki Neo of Japan, who both closed their run at 46+ to tie for second.
Falling while attempting the final move, Yoshida appeared to be holding his hip after making contact with a hold on the wall, and received immediate medical attention. He was taken to a nearby medical centre for evaluation and will await the results to see if his participation in the final is confirmed.
South Korea’s Lee Dohyun claimed sixth place with 45+, locking in another final appearance this season: "I liked the flow in my body while I climbed the route. I’m very satisfied with my performance. Weather was hot, but dry, so I was not too sweaty, my hands were good."
The eight finalists in the men's Lead event are as follows:
- Satone YOSHIDA (JPN)
- Alberto GINÉS LÓPEZ (ESP)
- Neo SUZUKI (JPN)
- Sorato ANRAKU (JPN)
- Shion OMATA (JPN)
- Dohyun LEE (KOR)
- Colin DUFFY (USA)
- Jakub KONECNY (CZE)
For the men's Lead semi-final complete results click here.
NEXT UP
The IFSC Climbing World Cup Comunidad de Madrid 2025 will conclude tomorrow night in Alcobendas: Lead finals are scheduled to kick off at 20:30 (UTC+2:00) with women climbing first.
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.
