The World Climbing Europe Championship brought the continent’s best boulderers to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, from 17 to 19 July. Great Britain’s Maximilian Milne and France’s Oriane Bertone were crowned European champions after ruling the men’s and women’s Boulder finals.

Athletes and spectators alike had to contend with soaring temperatures throughout the weekend, but the action delivered a fitting celebration of Climbing at the iconic Formula 1 circuit.

A STACKED FIELD UNDER THE CATALAN SUN

Barcelona’s Formula 1 circuit drew one of the strongest fields of the European season: Paris 2024 Olympic champion Toby Roberts of Great Britain returned from an injury to headline the men’s event alongside former European champion Sam Avezou of France. Both were eliminated before the final, underlining the depth of the competition through qualification and semi-finals.

In the women’s field, reigning champion Naïlé Meignan was absent, leaving the European title up for grabs between fellow French climbers Oriane Bertone, Zélia Avezou and a chasing pack of contenders.

BERTONE DOMINATES AS FIVE WOMEN FIGHT FOR THE PODIUM

Bertone was in a class of her own in the women’s final, topping three boulders, including two flashes, for a winning score of 84.3 points. It completes her own progression at the Championship, having taken bronze at the 2022 edition.

Behind her, the battle for the remaining two podium places continued until the final boulder, with five athletes still in contention going into the last round.

The fight for silver and bronze kept athletes and spectators on their toes until the final climb: France’s Zélia Avezou eventually secured silver with 59.9 points, while Italy’s Camilla Moroni completed the podium with bronze on 59.1.

Bertone said: “I had very, very much fun, we’re all friends on the circuit, and it’s one of the last comps of the season before Salt Lake City in October.

"I love Spain – every time I have fun, I do well, and my podium this year was in Madrid. So Spain is in my heart, and even if it’s hot, I love it here. I knew I was either first or second going into the last Boulder, but it’s not about the result, it’s about the climbing. I wanted to leave and be able to say I gave it my all, and that’s what I did."

MILNE PUTS ON A SHOW FOR HIS FIRST EUROPEAN GOLD

Milne delivered an outstanding performance to win his first European Championship gold medal, posting 74.8 points at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The British climber arrived in Barcelona as a silver medallist at the 2024 edition of the Championship and left with the upgrade complete. Milne was in top form throughout the final, visibly enjoying every moment and giving the crowd a performance to remember.

The standout moment came on the third Boulder, a technical slab, where Milne had to re-establish with a jump to avoid touching the mat. It was a moment of skill and composure that summed up his final, in which he recorded three tops in four attempts.

Behind him, Belgium’s Hannes Van Duysen, first at the end of the semi-final, converted one top and three zones into silver with 54.7 points, France’s Samuel Richard, who flashed the opening Boulder and topped the third in two attempts, completed the podium with bronze on 49.9 points.

Milne said: “A lot of it was celebrating even before the comp started, so I just wanted to have fun, and I think I had a good flow. I’ve done some of the best climbing I’ve ever done at this comp. A couple of months ago in Madrid I sliced my finger and had a really bad comp, so I wanted to come back to Spain, come back to the same wall, and turn it around – and I did that. So thanks everyone for cheering – vamos!”

MEDAL TABLE

France took first place in the final medal table with three medals – one gold, one silver, and one bronze – while Great Britain, Belgium, and Italy all took one each.

NEXT UP

The World Climbing Europe Championship in Lead and Speed is scheduled to take place in Laval, France, from