The Indonesian Speed specialist totalled 77,045 points and became the third climber to win the award after Adam Ondra in 2014 and Reza Alipour Shenazandifard in 2017.
Paris 2024 champion Veddriq Leonardo of Indonesia has won The World Games Athlete of the Year Award 2024 at the end of a neck-and-neck battle with Flying Disc competitor Kristin Lätt.
Leonardo, a six-time World Cup gold medallist, also won gold at the latest edition of The World Games – which took place in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, in July 2022 – and is expected to compete at this year’s event in Chengdu, China.
He said: “Winning The World Games Athlete of the Year Award is something I never imagined before. To be voted for by the public, and with so many great athletes from so many other great sports, it is an absolut”e honour and shows me the enthusiasm people have for Sport Climbing.”
The 27-year-old Indonesian is the third climber winning The World Games Athlete of the Year Award, the others being Adam Ondra of Czechia in 2014, and Reza Alipour Shenazandifard of Iran in 2017.
| Year | Candidate | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Adam ONDRA (CZE) | Winner |
| 2015 | Libor HROZA (CZE) | 5th |
| 2016 | Marcin DZIENSKI (POL) | 2nd |
| 2017 | Reza ALIPOUR SHENAZANDIFARD (IRI) | Winner |
| 2018 | Janja GARNBRET (SLO) | 8th |
| 2019 | Janja GARNBRET (SLO) | 4th |
| 2021 | Alberto GINÉS LÓPEZ (ESP) | 2nd |
| 2022 | Miho NONAKA (JPN) | 5th |
| 2023 | Emma HUNT (USA) | 11th |
| 2024 | Veddriq LEONARDO (INA) | Winner |
IFSC President Marco Scolaris said: “Winning an award like this is extra special because it is voted for by the public, and they are giving Veddriq the recognition for his amazing achievement.
“Before Veddriq, Indonesia had only won gold in Badminton. The country has the fourth largest population in the world, and in the sporting world they are investing to become a giant like some of the other bigger nations: we are honoured to be part of this process. If you could see the reaction Veddriq has had in the country, he has made a lot of people proud.”
At the Paris Olympics, Leonardo won gold in the men’s Speed event by prevailing over China’s Wu Peng in the final race, and stopping the clock at 4.75 – the second fastest time ever.
Scolaris added: “He has also made the whole Climbing community proud by showcasing the physical feats of our athletes to the world. We will be returning to Indonesia this year with a World Cup in Bali. The atmosphere and the party, especially after yet another award for Veddriq, is going to be something special.”
ROAD TO CHENGDU
The 12th edition of The World Games is set to take place from 7 to 17 August in Chengdu, China. Climbing will make its sixth consecutive appearance in the sports programme, with six medal events in the Speed discipline scheduled between Thursday 14 and Saturday 16.
The list of qualified nations is available on the IFSC website.
News and updates about The World Games Chengdu 2025 and all IFSC events will be available on the IFSC website, and on the Federation’s digitalchannels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, and exclusively for the Chinese audience, Douyin and Weibo.
