Last weekend saw the debut of IFSC World Cup Climbing in South America, with the city of Curitiba in south Brazil playing host to the second boulder World Cup of the season.

Despite hosting competitors from all over the world, both the men's and the women's competitions saw strong showings from the French and the Japanese national teams in particular, with twelve of the sixteen climbers across the two finals representing either France or Japan, and five of the six medals going home with one or the other of those nations.

Team GB's Nathan Whaley came just 0.5 points away from a semi-finals place, but Zoë Peetermans was able to improve upon her performance in Keqiao, not only making semi-finals for the second consecutive Boulder World Cup, but improving her position from 23rd in Keqiao, to 21st in Curitiba.

The men's final was up first, and - as in Keqiao - Sorato Anraku was dominant. He was the only climber to top all five qualification boulders, the only climber to top all four semi-finals boulders, and - in the final - the only climber to reach all four zones, and one of just two climbers to make a top!

Speaking after the final, Anraku said:

'I'm very happy for my second World Cup gold in a row, but I wanted to send boulder number four... I rested a lot on my attempts because I had no power left, but I felt confident'.

'I'm not thinking about winning the Series, I will focus on one event at a time, so now it's time to focus on Salt Lake City'.

The rest of the podium was fiercely contested, with Mejdi Schalk and Tomoa Narasaki both showing returns to form that secured them silver and bronze medals respectively, with Schalk's solitary top of the fourth boulder a particular highlight.

'This medal has a crazy taste because everything I have done in my training has paid off', Schalk said. 'I'm a bit frustrated for not winning this one, because I really wanted it. And I think I was in the good spirit to win... I'm 10 times stronger when the crowd is pushing me'.

Soha Amagasa, despite being unable to top a single boulder in the final, seemed miraculously close to each and every one of them, and perhaps deserved better than his fourth place finish.

The women's side of the competition was much more fiercely contested, with Oriane Bertone qualifying in first for the semi-finals, and Melody Sekikawa of Japan qualifying first for the final, but neither of them able, quite, to take home the gold.

Bertone came closest. In fact, when Naïlé Meignan came out to attempt the last boulder of the final, she was exactly 24.9 points behind Bertone, meaning that only by flashing the final boulder could she guarantee a first ever gold medal. 

That was exactly what she did. Having already flashed the previous two boulders, Meignan made the fourth and final boulder of the evening look steady, and took home the gold with a score of 99.6 to Bertone's 99.5.

'It feels amazing to win in my first competition of the year. I wasn't expecting to be this good, but for sure it feels great', Meignan said.

'I was a bit tense on the first boulder, but then I felt more confident and was able to flash the following three problems. I will compete in Salt Lake City now, and it would be great to win another medal there!'

Bertone, painfully close, took home the silver, whilst Camilla Moroni was able to pull bronze out of the bag, having fought her way to three tops and four zones.

The medal is her Moroni's, after she won a debut World Cup medal - this one of the silver variety - in Keqiao earlier this year.

Boulder Women

Boulder Men

Full results available here.