The 2025 edition of the IFSC World Cup kicked off over the weekend, with Keqiao, China - a new addition to the circuit last year - playing host to the opening competition of the season for the second year running. 

Team GB was well-represented at the event, with World Cup debuts for Emma Edwards and Nathan Whaley, as well as return appearances for Sam Butterworth, Dayan Akhtar, Toby Roberts, Zoë Peetermans, and Erin McNeice.

Of the seven members of Team GB out in Keqiao, four made semi finals, with Dayan and Toby qualifying for semis in third and seventh respectively, and Erin and Zoë qualifying in seventh and twenty-third positions - for Zoë, a debut semi-final.

Whilst the semi-finals were as far as it went for Zoë, Toby, and Dayan, Erin managed to hold on to seventh place in the semi-final round, meaning - under new rules where eight athletes make it to the final - she would get to compete again.

'I'm not happy with my semi', Erin said, 'but I am happy that it's enough to get me into the final. The boulders were really hard and very droppable, so it made for a nerve wracking, but fun, semi-final. I just want to enjoy the final, soak in the experience and climb better.'

And climb better Erin did, finishing in third place, and thus securing her second consecutive Bronze medal on the World Cup circuit, having also done so in the final competition of the 2024 IFSC season.

Ahead of her on the podium were Oriane Bertone, and Annie Sanders, with Sanders' position at the top of the podium in Keqiao - like Erin's - a replica of her finish in the final event of the season last year.

'I'm pretty excited honestly' she said, in the aftermath of the victory, 'I definitely wasn't expecting it, especially after the first boulder where I was frustrated and pretty much not getting anywhere on the second boulder'.

'I was in a bit of a bad headspace, but the third boulder lightened my mood and the fourth I just gave it everything to get to the zone'.

As for the men's side of things, it was the familiar face of Sorato Anraku that found its way to the top of the podium, improving on his second place finish at Keqiao last year. 

'I had a good time at this comp. I really enjoyed the problems' Anraku said after coming away with the Gold medal, 'I liked M4 because I haven't won recently because I'm not always sending the last boulder, this time I could though, so I am happy'.

The podium was rounded out by Dohyun Lee and Meichi Narasaki, with Dohyun Lee in particular looking like a potential challenger for the overall title, having registered three near perfect scores - 124.8/125, 99.3/100, and 99.3/100 - across the three rounds of the competition.

Unfortunately for him, Sorato registered a score of 99.7 in the final, showing just how narrow the margins are at the very top. 

Boulder Men

Boulder Women

Full results available here.