The eight men and women who will compete for the very last podiums of the IFSC World Cup Series 2024 has been set as semi-finals end in Seoul, South Korea.

Both finals will have home representation with Lee Dohyun looking to add to his Boulder win from earlier in the week to make it a Seoul golden double – but he will have to fight it out with team’s Japan and France in the men's final.

Lee is the odd one of out from a final eight that includes five Japanese climbers and two French – and a few Olympians dotted around in that group.

One Olympian, and Olympic medallist, is Japan’s Anraku Sorato. A serial winner since he has joined the senior ranks, Anraku finished in the top spot in semi-finals with hold 43+ to ensure he climbs last to try and finish the season on a literal high.

Talking about the semi-final route Anraku said: “The Lead route was ok. There were no hard moves, so it was about endurance. I felt good today and I will try to prepare the same way for the final as it seemed to work.”

It’s been a busy season for Anraku, and the young Japanese climber is starting to feel it: “To be honest, I am a little bit tired from the season, but I can climb when I am tired so I will give my all in final.”

Teammates Homma Taisei and Omata Shion were the next best ahead of Lee who finished in fourth overall on hold 36. Homma was second with a 36+ climb and Omata third with 36.

Thirty-six seemed to be the sticking point for the men as positions three to seven all hit that hold. In fifth was another Japanese climber in Imaizumi Yuta and seventh Ogata Yoshiyuki.

The two French Olympians Paul Jenft and Sam Avezou will try and disrupt the Japanese (and Korean) order in the final with Jenft progressing in sixth and Avezou knocking another three Japanese climbers out of the final on hold 35+ thanks to his qualification performance and countback.

Full men’s results can be found here

Seo Chaehyun made the women’s final, but it was close.

There were seven women who reached hold 34+ on the semi-final route – Seo one of them – but only three could make it into the final eight positions.

Seo was sixth and was joined on hold 34+ and in the final with the Chinese pair Zhang Yuetong who finished in joint-sixth and Luo Zhilu in eighth. Seo was the last climber of the day on the wall, and her score pushed out France’s Hélène Janicot who had been clinging on to a finals spot for a long time as she watched the semi-finals unfold.

Just like the men’s competition, Japan holds the number one position with Mori Ai. But unlike the men, Mori is the sole representative in her final. A climb of 44 was enough for first, and time hindered her chances for a semi-final top.

USA’s Annie Sanders did top the route, but like Mori, time was not on her side. Her score was confirmed at 43 for second position, but the American is looking good to add to her first World Cup gold from Boulder in Seoul.

Great Britain’s Erin Mcneice was on a World Cup podium for the first time in Seoul from the Boulder competition, and she must have liked it as she moved into the final in third position after a hold 41 climb.

With different degrees of experience, Austria’s Jessica Pilz and Slovenia’s Rosa Rekar will contest the finals with Pilz in fourth on hold 37+ and Rekar fifth on hold 35+.

Pilz is in Seoul to go for the 2024 Lead Series title and has multiple medals and numerous finals under her belt. Rekar on the other hand is a current Youth Worlds champion and will participate in only her second final, with her first in Briançon earlier in the season where she finished in fourth.

One climber with bags of experience is South Korea’s Kim Jain. Although there will be no finals place for her in front of the home crowd due to an uncharacteristic error: “I don’t know what happened as I felt quite good and felt I was in good shape. I think I made a mistake on the foot hold as I had to use the right more higher. Just a little mistake, but it happens.”

Not just the home crowd, but many climbers and supporters from around the world are hoping that performance won’t be the last, although Kim herself doesn’t even know yet: “I don’t know exactly if I will compete next year. I don’t want to limit my future and say I’m going to retire as then I have to stop, and I don’t want to stop. But I don’t know yet, I just don’t want to limit myself.”

The foot slip left Kim in 23^rd on hold 25+. And I think we speak for all when we say we hope it’s not her last World Cup…

Full women’s results can be found here

News and updates about all IFSC events will be available on the IFSC website, and on the Federation’s digital channels: Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and exclusively for the Chinese audience, Douyin and Weibo.