Japan’s Narasaki Tomoa made history at the first IFSC World Cup of the season by winning his seventh Boulder World Cup gold medal in Keqiao, China. The victory, achieved in front of a 1000-strong crowd at the Shaoxing Keqiao Yangshan Climbing Center, propelled Narasaki to fourth place on the men’s all-time list for Boulder golds. His performance was impressive with two flashes and two zones, enough to secure the win against 19 competitors in the final.
The round formats had to be adjusted due to heavy rainfall at the beginning of the competition, leading to a larger field in the final than usual. Despite this challenge, Narasaki stood out from the rest with his skill and determination.
Reflecting on his win, Narasaki expressed his happiness and emphasized the importance of focusing on the upcoming Olympic Games. His teammate, Anraku Sorato, also stood on the podium with a silver medal, showcasing his talent early in the season. The Japanese climbers were separated by attempts in the final standings.
Belgium’s Hannes Van Duysen claimed third place on the podium and earned a bronze medal for his efforts. This was his second Boulder World Cup medal after a silver last year. Van Duysen credited his consistency and winter training for his success.
Amongst competitors was Dayan Akhtar from Great Britain who achieved a personal best finish in 19th place. His improvement from a previous 35th finish was commendable and set him up well for future competitions.
Overall, this IFSC World Cup event highlighted some incredible performances that have set up an exciting season ahead for climbing enthusiasts around
