Established champions, home favourites, and international debutants all celebrated victories as the World Climbing Para Series Innsbruck 2026 came to a close in Austria.

The event brought together almost 300 athletes across the B, AL, AU, and RP sport classes, with the USA, Austria, France, and Japan among the nations enjoying the most success on finals day.

JAPAN DOMINATES B SPORT CLASSES

Japan claimed three of the six gold medals awarded in the B sport classes through Aita Sho in men’s B1, Aoki Hiromi in women’s B1, and Hamanoue Fumiya in men’s B2. Austria’s Linda Le Bon delighted the home crowd by taking gold in women’s Lead B2, while Linn Poston of the USA topped the women’s Lead B3 event.

The men’s Lead B3 final belonged to 16-year-old Adrian Maillard of France, who secured gold in his first-ever international competition.

Poston was particularly pleased with both the route setting and her own performance.

“I loved it. I loved the route that they put specific for women’s B3 because I feel like it really challenged us, and that was just awesome,” she said. “I feel like right now I’m in the best shape of my life. I feel really good on my climb, I really used all of the beta options I had planned before. In the end I got gold, so I’m pretty happy.”

For the women's Lead B1 complete results click here.

For the women's Lead B2 complete results click here.

For the women's Lead B3 complete results click here.

For the men's Lead B1 complete results click here.

For the men's Lead B2 complete results click here.

For the men's Lead B3 complete results click here.

DELARUE EXTENDS PERFECT RECORD

The AL and AU sport classes produced a mix of familiar winners and breakthrough moments.

Austria’s Angelino Zeller won men’s Lead AL1, while France’s Thierry Delarue continued one of the most remarkable streaks in Para Climbing by winning men’s Lead AL2. Delarue has now won all 16 international competitions he has entered between 2018 and 2026.

The remaining gold medals went to Micailee Soria of the USA in women’s Lead AL2, Brian Zarzuela of the USA in men’s Lead AU2, Lucia Capovilla of Italy in women’s Lead AU2, Bence Kerekes of Hungary in men’s Lead AU3, and Paula De La Calle Pizarro of Spain in women’s Lead AU3.

For Capovilla, the victory marked a return to the top step of the podium for the first time since Arco 2024 after a series of second- and third-place finishes.

“I still cannot believe it. I’m super happy with what my body has done,” said the Italian. “All the training and all the effort I put in was worth it. Innsbruck is the event you really cannot wait for. Everything is special here, from the organisation to the atmosphere and the mountains surrounding us.

“When I came down, I was happy with my climb, but I also knew I could have done even better and I was scared about what the others would do. Then I heard that I had won and I couldn’t believe it. It makes all the work and every decision I’ve made worth it.”

For the Lead AL1 complete results click here.

For the women's Lead AL2 complete results click here.

For the women's Lead AU2 complete results click here.

For the women's Lead AU3 complete results click here.

For the men's Lead AL2 complete results click here.

For the men's Lead AU2 complete results click here.

For the men's Lead AU3 complete results click here.

USA SHINES IN RP EVENTS

The USA claimed three of its six gold medals in Innsbruck through Melissa Ruiz in women’s Lead RP1, Brayden Butler in men’s Lead RP2, and Nat Vorel in women’s Lead RP3. Austria celebrated another victory thanks to Jasmin Plank in women’s Lead RP2, while Norway’s Kim Rishaug won men’s Lead RP1.

The men’s Lead RP3 event saw another international debutant reach the top step of the podium as Antoine Keodara of France secured gold in his first-ever international competition.

“The competition was incredible,” said Keodara. “It was my first international competition, but I’ve climbed for more than 15 years. This was the first competition where I could compete with people who have the same impairment as me.

“The routes were very fun to climb. There were a lot of incredible holds. I wasn’t at my maximum and my level can still go up. I will try to do all the competitions from now on, and the next one is Laval in France, so I will be there for sure.”

For the women's RP1 complete results click here.

For the women's RP2 complete results click here.

For the women's RP3 complete results click here.

For the men's RP1 complete results click here.

For the men's RP2 complete results click here.

For the men's RP3 complete results click here.

MEDALS SHARED ACROSS 17 NATIONS

A total of 17 nations earned medals in Innsbruck, highlighting the growing depth of international Para Climbing. The USA topped the medal table with six golds, followed by Austria, France, and Japan with three each, while Hungary, Italy, Norway, and Spain each celebrated one victory.

NEXT UP

The international climbing season continues in Innsbruck, Austria, with the World Climbing Series event taking place from 17 to 21 June and featuring Boulder and Lead competitions.

News and updates about all World Climbing events will be available on the World Climbing website, and on the Federation’s digital channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, and exclusively for the Chinese audience, Douyin, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu.