Japan’s Narasaki Tomoa Wins 7th Gold in the IFSC World Cup for Boulder Climbing; Shatters Bouldering Records and Looks Towards Olympics

In the first IFSC World Cup of the season held in Keqiao, China, Narasaki Tomoa of Japan clinched his seventh Boulder World Cup gold medal. This victory propelled him to fourth place on the men’s all-time list for Boulder golds, with a total of 25 medals from 28 appearances. The event took place at the Shaoxing Keqiao Yangshan Climbing Center before a packed crowd of 1000 spectators.

Competing against 19 climbers instead of the usual six in the final due to changes in the round formats caused by heavy rainfall, Narasaki secured his win with two flashes and two zones. He expressed his happiness with the win while emphasizing the importance of focusing on the upcoming Olympic Games.

Anraku Sorato, Narasaki’s teammate, joined him on the podium and won the silver medal. The young climber was thrilled to start the season with a medal despite facing some challenges during the event. In a close competition where only six climbers completed two boulders, Hannes Van Duysen from Belgium claimed the bronze medal. This marked his second Boulder World Cup medal following his silver from Hachioji last year.

Further down in the rankings, Dayan Akhtar from Great Britain achieved a personal best finish of 19th place. This was an improvement from his previous best of 35th. Overall, the event showcased