In 2023, Catalina Shirley took a life-threatening fall and questioned whether she’d ever lead again. This year, she returned to the site—and became the first American to podium in an Ice Climbing Lead World Cup.
The wait was finally over—this weekend the World Cup circuit returned with the 2023 season debut, a thrilling boulder event in Hachioji, Japan.
The IFSC punctuated the 2022 season with a one-off Combined World Cup in Morioka, Japan.
This year wasn’t a disaster—it had its jaw-dropping moments, but it also proved that the competition circuit is still in somewhat of a dizzy tailspin, the same one it has been in for three years.
Samuel Watson claimed the first men's World Cup gold in Speed for Team USA while Jesse Grupper (USA) went home with the gold in Lead. In a climactic showdown, Garnbret silvered in women's Lead, bested by Japan's Ai Mori.
Results and action from the Lead World Cup in Koper, Slovenia.
Over two decades ago this Slovenian, in a newly minted World Cup competition scene, helped pave the way for today superstars and even the Olympics themselves.
The World Cup circuit swung through Chamonix, France, this weekend for a World Cup extravaganza that included Speed and Lead disciplines.
With a final time of 5.04 seconds Katibin is within reach of the mythical sub-5-second bar, a time that was thought untouchable just a few years ago.
No surprises from Garnbret, but Team USA knocked it out of the park.
The second Paraclimbing World Cup of the year took place in Innsbruck, Austria June 21 and 22.
It wasn't a gimme as Grossman squared off in Brixen, Italy, at the Boulder World Cup.
In 2019, Climbing dubbed her “America’s New Comp Superstar.” Since then, Grossman has certainly lived up to that moniker.
Grossman and Raboutou Dazzle Again in Salt Lake City World Cup; Hunt Races to Multiple American Records
And it's just the qualifying rounds at the World Cup in Salt Lake City.
How Ben Mayforth became a world class and world cup competitor.
Beginning Tuesday, May 24, the first Paraclimbing World Cup of the year took place in Salt Lake City, Utah.
With her repeat gold-medal performance in Salt Lake City, she now must rank as one of America's best competitors of all time.
This weekend’s World Cup had some of the most intriguing exposition of any climbing competition in recent memory.
The Slovenian is climbing’s first female Olympic medalist, the first woman to onsight 5.14b, and perhaps our sport’s strongest overall competitor
The 21-year-old was climbing V10 by the age of nine and was the USA’s first qualified Olympic climber.
"So with the Olympics, I was like, Yeah, it would be amazing, but I wasn’t going to be disappointed if I didn’t make it. It’s just icing on the cake that I did."
The fist raised in victory; the bright lights; the roaring crowd—from the outside, competition climbing seems to be all glitz and glamour. But what is it like on the inside, from the lived experience of a onetime competitor?
The first bouldering World Cup of the season took place this past weekend in Meiringen, Switzerland. Here is what you missed.
In May, Salt Lake City will host three IFSC World Cups: Bouldering May 20-22, Paraclimbing May 24-29, and Speed and Bouldering May 27-29.
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Most Olympians skipped the World Cup Lead in Slovenia, but the field remained world class.
In the first World Cup after the Olympics, the two Americans who did well in the Olympic run up cranked again, advancing to tomorrow's semifinals, while gold-medalist Janja Garnbret was her usual powerhouse.
During a Bouldering World Cup, inappropriate slow-motion footage of a female athlete was aired. What does it mean for climbing when the IFSC and the climbing community effectively condones the objectification of female athletes?
Where is trad climbing in World Cups? Where are the alpine and mountaineering aspects? Comp formats need to change, obviously.
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Creating Boulder Problems That Can Challenge the World's Best Climbers and Win the Crowd Takes a Twisted Mindset You Have To Appreciate
Yep, you read that right. Team US has two winners!
Twelve athletes have just earned their places in the final round of this weekend's Bouldering World Cup. Among them: Four Americans! In the lead are the usual suspects: Janja Garnbret and Tomoa Narasaki
By the round’s end, Garnbret had topped all five boulders, but so had Japan’s Miho Nonaka, the United States’ Natalia Grossman, and Japan’s Futaba Ito.
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In a powerful performance on home turf, Emma Hunt advanced to finals and got a podium, while John Brosler was narrowly edged out of bronze.
The 2021 Speed World Cup season is off to a helluva good start.
Video replay of the Boulder World Cup in Salt Lake City. Natalia Grossman takes the gold. Brooke Raboutou wins bronze.
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With the World Cup season in the books and the Olympics looming on the horizon, national squads are more compelling than their individual members
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For U.S. competition climbers, getting into the Olympics is far from the biggest hurdle.
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