Sport Climbing World Cup 2023 season opener in Hachioji: Preview, schedule and how to watch
The first World Cup of the 2023 sport climbing season takes place in Hachioji, Japan with athletes from across the world competing in boulder. Find out what’s in store and who to watch out for between 21 and 23 April.
Sport Climbing
The moment climbing fans have been waiting for has finally arrived, as the Sport Climbing World Cup season kicks off on 21 April in Hachioji, Japan.
Many of the sport’s biggest names will descend on Japan with hopes of landing on the podium or - as importantly - accruing ranking points that count towards invitations to the Olympic Qualifier Series, which represents the final opportunity to qualify for Paris 2024.
The Hachioji World Cup is the 12th to be held in Japan, but only the fifth boulder World Cup to be hosted in the country.
Find out everything you need to know about the event, including the athletes you need to watch out for, below.
When and where will the sport climbing World Cup Hachioji take place
The competition will take place in the Esforta Arena in Hachioji, a city located at the foot of the Okutama Mountains in western Tokyo, Japan.
The action begins on Friday 21 April with the qualification rounds for both men and women, with the women’s semi-finals and finals taking place on Saturday 22 April and the men’s semis and finals on Sunday 23 April.
Athletes to watch at the Sport Climbing World Cup in Hachioji
In the women’s competition, all eyes will be on last year’s champion Natalia Grossman who went on a winning spree of five events in a row to secure the series title. She will face stiff competition from Japan’s Nonaka Miho, ranked second in the world, and fellow American Brooke Raboutou who came third in 2022.
In the men’s competition, a trio of Japanese climbers top the world rankings with Ogata Yoshiyuki, Narasaki Tomoa and Fujii Kokoro all hoping to take wins on home soil. Ogata won the 2022 series title, while Japan were named team champions.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist Alberto Gines will also be hoping to show he is in strong form to win a second Olympic title next year in Paris, while other strong climbers include the USA’s Colin Duffy, a two-time World Cup winner and the youngest male sport climber at the last Olympic Games, France’s Mejdi Schalck and Germany’s Yannick Flohe.
Sport climbing World Cup Hachioji schedule
All times JST (CET +7)
Friday 21 April
9:00 am: Women’s boulder qualification
16:30 pm: Men’s boulder qualification
Saturday 22 April
11:00 am: Women’s boulder semi-final
17:00 pm: Women’s boulder final
Sunday 23 April
11:00 am: Men’s boulder semi-final
17:00 pm: Men’s boulder final
How to watch the IFSC Sport Climbing World Cup Hachioji:
Live coverage of the action is available on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com (territorial restrictions may apply).
It will also available via International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) partner broadcasters and their YouTube Channel.