Picture by Maja Hitij/Getty Images
Innsbruck, Austria will welcome the world’s best sport climbers for the latest round of the IFSC World Cup Boulder and Lead from 26-30 June. It will be one the last opportunities for climbers to compete head-to-head against their rivals before the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
The two-time Olympic host city will provide a picturesque backdrop for the competition held at Kletterzentrum Innsbruck. Taking place over five days, the competition will feature separate Boulder and lead events for men and women.
Olympic champions Janja Garnbret and Alberto Ginés López will headline the competition, alongside individual discipline world champions Jakob Schubert and Ai Mori.
Read on to find out more about the competition schedule, athletes to watch, and how to watch sport climbing live from the IFSC World Cup Innsbruck 2024.
Janja Garnbret (SLO) competes in sport climbing during the European Championships Munich 2022.
One climber stands out amongst the rest in the women’s Boulder and lead disciplines: Janja Garnbret.
The 25-year-old has been virtually unbeatable since winning the combined event at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Her three medals, two gold and one silver, from last year’s world championships stand as a warning for those trying to best her in Innsbruck.
The Slovenian superstar began the season with a pair of world cup victories in the Boulder and lead disciplines. A decision to skip the third leg of the world cup narrowed the gap between her and her rivals in the world cup standings. Nonetheless, she will enter both competitions as the favourite in Innsbruck. A victory will quiet any questions about her fitness heading into Paris 2024.
Ai Mori will look to introduce some doubt into Garnbret’s Olympic preparations. The 20-year-old lead world champion will make her season debut in Innsbruck after scoring a rare victory over Garnbret at last year’s world championships.
A rising star in Boulder and lead competitions, Mori secured a quota for Paris 2024 after finishing third in the combined event at the 2023 IFSC Climbing World Championships. She will look to become the first climber from Japan to win an Olympic gold medal in Paris.
Home favourite Jessica Pilz will also be among those challenging victory in Innsbruck. It's been nearly six years since her most recent World Cup victory, but she has remained competitive on the international scene. The 27-year-old finished seventh at Tokyo 2020 and bagged a silver medal in the combined event at last year’s world championships.
Pilz will rely on the support of the Austrian crowd to propel her towards the top of the climbing wall at the latest stop of the IFSC World Cup.
The men’s lead competition will be headlined by Austrian world champion Jakob Schubert.
The 33-year-old won his fourth lead world title by the slimmest of margins, beating Japan’s Sorato Anraku by a single reach for a hand hold. He’ll hope to win by a safer margin in Innsbruck as he prepares for his second Olympic Games.
Schubert won a bronze medal in the combined event at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. With the speed discipline separated from the event for Paris 2024, he’ll look to improve upon that result in Paris. His victory at the 2023 IFSC Climbing World Championships will make him the prohibited favourite heading into Paris 2024. The Boulder and lead competitions in Innsbruck will give him a chance to simulate the Olympic combined event one last time before the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Defending Olympic champion Alberto Ginés López will also be eager to improve his competition credentials in Innsbruck. He’ll join the world cup fresh off competing in the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS), where he secured a quota for Paris 2024.
The 21-year-old has yet to win a senior world cup competition, and has struggled to find the form that won him gold at Tokyo 2020. Nonetheless, his recent results at the OQS will leave him more confident heading into Paris 2024. He’ll look to build on his eighth-place finish at last year’s lead world cup in Innsbruck.
American Colin Duffy will look to repeat his double victory from the IFSC World Cup Innsbruck 2022. While he hasn’t found the top step of the podium since then, a second-place finish in the combined event at last year’s world championships has renewed his competitive fire. He’ll look to top the climbing wall and the podium in Innsbruck, as prepares to challenge for gold at Paris 2024.
(All times local UTC +2)
Wednesday 26 June
Thursday 27 June
Friday 28 June
Saturday 29 June
Sunday 30 June
The IFSC World Cup Innsbruck 2024 will be streamed on the IFSC’s YouTube Channel (geo-restrictions may apply).
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