The 2024 Series overall honours were also confirmed in South Korea with familiar winners
South Korea’s Lee Dohyun capped a rollercoaster Boulder World Cup in his homeland by taking the third win of his career – and his second in the space of two events.
Lee began the World Cup in Seoul head and shoulders above everyone else in qualification. While others were taking two tops, Lee did all five.In semi-finals he left it to the very last moment to sneak into the final needing a flash on the final boulder to move into sixth – he duly obliged.
The final even ended with confusion as Lee had two tops and four zones, but as rival Max Milne from Great Britain topped the last boulder to take his tally to two tops and four zones also, both climbers looked into the crowd for some sort of confirmation who had won.
With four attempts to Milne’s five, the golden confirmation pleased the home crowd, but Lee was still unsure: “I thought if Max got the top in three he would win the gold so when he got it he had won. I thought congratulations, but then my team and coaches said it was me who had won. I couldn’t understand it. I’m just really happy to win in front of my home crowd, it means a lot.”
Gold in Seoul was Lee’s second in a row after defending his title in Prague, Czechia last week.
Talking about the final Lee said: “It was a hard final round. All the boulders were hard for me. Very powerful and tricky moves. Very hard. I needed to push on the last boulder with my right hand and I couldn’t think to get it and that was a mistake, but good experience for me.”
Having to settle for silver, Milne made the World Cup podium for the first time since Brixen 2022 when he also took silver.
With four zones, Amagasa Sohta won bronze, the second World Cup medal of the year for the Japanese climber after taking gold in Innsbruck earlier in the year.
Finishing in fourth, Great Britain’s Dayan Ahktar posted a personal best - his previous 15th. Another home favourite, Chon Jongwon, finished in fifth with Narasaki Meichi in sixth.
Full men’s results can be found here: https://ifsc.hopp.to/se24mbr
USA’s Annie Sanders won her first Boulder World Cup gold medal in Seoul marking an impressive first full senior season on the international circuit.
With a previous best result in Innsbruck, Austria earlier in the year, Sanders showed her progression through the year which culminated in a first gold in South Korea with a final boulder flash securing the top spot.
Sanders won with three tops and four zones, with that flash on the last boulder cementing her win, but it was nearly over before the young American could even get going as she explains: “I’m definitely still in shock right now. I wasn’t expecting this. After the second boulder I almost kind of gave up hope as a lot of people were topping that one so I was just trying to have fun for the rest of the round, and it paid off.”
Also with three tops and four zones, and another personal best result, France’s Zélia Avezou won silver. Just like her American rival Avezou has been growing in confidence all year on the circuit and she now has a Boulder medal to show for her endeavours. Her previous best was fourth place.
Making it a podium of personal bests, Great Britain’s Erin Mcneice took bronze with two tops and four zones and became just the third British woman to podium at a Boulder World Cup after Shauna Coxsey and Claire Bell.
USA’s Natalia Grossman couldn’t continue her return to golden form from Prague just missing out on a medal in fourth.
Japan’s Nonaka Miho finished fifth overall and France’s Agathe Calliet also secured a personal best result just by making it to her first World Cup final.
Full women’s results can be found here: https://ifsc.hopp.to/se24wbr
OVERALL 2024 SERIES RANKING
Japan locked out the men’s 2024 Boulder Series podium with Anraku Sorato winning the overall title for the second year in a row, doing so becoming only the fourth male to win back-to-back titles.
Anraku’s total was helped on the way to the title by winning gold in Salt Lake City, USA early in the season.
The Narasaki brothers joined teammate Anraku on the podium with younger brother Meichi in second and Tomoa in third.
Although not winning a gold during the season, Meichi’s consistent high results put him ahead of Tomoa who won the first event of the season in Keqiao, China.
- Anraku Sorato – 3365 points
- Narasaki Meichi – 2860 points
- Narasaki Tomoa – 2690 points
Full men's results can be found here
Despite missing out on a medal in Seoul, USA’s Natalia Grossman won the 2024 Boulder World Cup Series title for the fourth time – becoming the fourth woman to do so, but the first to win four in a row.
Grossman won two World Cup golds during the Series – in Salt Lake City, USA and Prague, Czechia.
Australia’s Oceania Mackenzie won her first World Cup medal in Prague on her way to second overall and Japan’s Nakamura Mao completed the podium in third with a string of consistent results during the season.
- Natalia GROSSMAN – 2610 points
- Oceania MACKENZIE – 2405 points
- NAKAMURA Mao – 2262.5 points
Full women's results can be found here
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