The Boulder competition begins the end of season World Cup finale
The 2024 season ending World Cup in Seoul, South Korea began with a full day of Boulder qualification for both the men and women.
Sixty-three men kicked off the competition in the morning session and the home team came out fighting topping both groups, with Lee Dohyun continuing his Prague form the real stand-out performer.
Whilst others around him in Group A could only manage a maximum of two tops, Lee got a sweep of the full five, flashing the final two.
Lee goes into the semi-finals in joint first position with the Group B leader and teammate Chon Jongwon. Three tops was enough for Chon to lead the pack in the second group.
Despite leading the standings, Chon wasn’t quite ‘feeling it’ on the first day: “The results were good, but I felt I was struggling a bit today and I don’t know why. I felt this round was hard and the weather is a bit dry and my hand texture feels a bit strange. I topped the B group though, so feelings are good. Hopefully the same results tomorrow.”
With a South Korean one-two, Chon offers up an explanation for the home climbers leading the way: “Competing in Seoul is always so crazy for me. It means more than other World Cups and I need to try more here. Other World Cups I just try to enjoy, this time it’s a bit more pressure and emotion.”
Next year the IFSC Climbing World Championships will return to Seoul, and for Chon it makes him reflect on coming towards the end of his competition time: “I haven’t got many years left in my career. A lot of my friends are already gone, so I’m thinking about that a little bit. Having a World Championships here in Seoul next year is really good and one of my goals is to keep going and get a good result in that championship.”
With two in Group A and three in Group B enough to progress, the qualification round has definitely tested the climbers, Japan’s Narasaki Meichi certainly felt the challenge: “It was hard for me, a very hard round. Before the competition we talked and thought maybe this round wouldn’t be hard, but it was a super hard round.”
Safely into the semi-finals in the season ending event, Narasaki has his sights set on a 2024 Series podium place: “It hasn’t been a bad season, I have quite a good feeling overall. I want a top three overall ranking for this year though.”
Narasaki shares fifth with Great Britain’s Maximillian Milne from Group A and is one of six Japanese climbers – including brother Tomoa, 2023 Series winner Anraku Sorato and Innsbruck World Cup winner Amagasa Sohta.
There is a strong French contingent with all five entries making it though qualification including Prague medallist Manuel Cornu and European champion Sam Avezou.
IFSC World Cup Prague Athlete of the Week, USA’s Adam Shahar has also made it into the semi-finals, but there is unfortunately no space for Slovenia’s Gregor Vezonik who now calls time on his World Cup career in an emotional farewell after placing 29th in qualification.
Full men’s results can be found here: https://ifsc.hopp.to/se24mbr
In the women’s qualification six climbers topped all five boulders, but only one of those was from Group B - that climber was Australia’s Oceania Mackenzie who is buoyant after picking up her first World Cup medal in Prague last time out.
Mackenzie tops the qualification and shares the first position with Japan’s Matsufuji Anon who flashed four of the five boulders in Group A. She also took less attempts to top her fifth ahead of the next best in the group – USA’s Natalia Grossman.
Japan’s Nonaka Miho, USA’s Annie Sanders and Great Britain’s Erin Mcneice were the other climbers from Group A to top all five boulders and all progress to the semi-final from the 54 starters.
Moving into the semi-finals with Mackenzie from Group A are China’s Zhang Yuetong and Austria’s Jessica Pilz.
Talking about her performance Zhang said: “I’m really happy with my round. It’s been a long time since I was in a Boulder semi-final as I have been focused on Lead and I haven’t done a lot of Boulder competitions.
“I think I have good condition though as I prepared a lot for the Olympic Games and was quite stressed by it. After the Games I began to relax, and I climb better when I am relaxed.”
Pilz took home a medal from Paris 2024, but she isn’t as relaxed as Zhang, especially when it comes to her least favourite discipline: “It was ok. Not the best, but it could have been worse, so it was good.
“I’m not really that psyched for Boulder anymore, but I thought if I am flying here to South Korea then I can do both. Lead is more important for me though as I am in the running for the overall title.”
Looking ahead to 2025 Pilz said: “I really want to focus on Lead next season. I will maybe do a few Boulder comps if they are on the same venue or not too far away. It’s a pity for me the Lead season starts in April, it means I have to be in Lead shape straight from the start. Not fun for me.”
Topping three boulders was enough to get Japan’s Mori Ai into the semi-final in the final spot from Group A with Canada’s Madison Richardson in the same position from Group B.
The home interest in semi-finals will come from Seo Chaehyun who progressed in 11th spot alongside one of the three French climbers – Agathe Calliet.
Full women’s results can be found here: https://ifsc.hopp.to/se24wbr
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