Para Climbing action began in Laval at the Espace Mayenne with nearly 250 registered climbers across 19 sport classes completing their qualification before seven will continue on in their search for medals with finals tonight.

France edged in front of the medal table at home in Laval securing three of the seven gold medals on offer at the Espace Mayenne venue with a mix of experience and newcomers gracing the top steps of the podium.

When it comes to experience in the French team you can talk about Lucie Jarrige in the women’s AL2. The French climber has won a medal in all 25 of her participations, and its usually gold. She now takes her tally to 24 gold medals in the class after an assured final performance.

Jarrige had been tied first with USA’s Cail Soria after qualification but turned it on in the final to climb to hold 52+ and a gold medal.

About her performance Jarrige said: “I’m very happy to be close to the top and in first. The route was in my style I would say, I appreciated it from the start right until the end. I had a lot of fun on it.

“For every competition it’s more against the wall than the other competitors. I want to top every route.”

Soria was Jarrige’s closest rival on hold 35 which gave the American silver ahead of Great Britain’s Joanna Newton who took bronze on hold 26+.

With new climbers joining the circuit and more World Climbing Para Series event’s being added to the calendar, Jarrige is well placed to talk about the changes happening in the sport and the preparation for competition:

“It’s not so much about changing my training because the season is a bit longer, I think we have to change a little our training because we have different holds and different moves, so I train differently now to how I trained a couple of years ago.

“You can’t just be strong anymore, you have to do some crazy moves, and I like that as you have to move out of your comfort zone. There’s a lot of new things to learn.”

Switching classes, but staying with Team France, Antoine Keodara is two for two at the world level in the men’s RP3 adding a Laval gold medal to his Innsbruck gold from his debut last time out.

Keodara was first after qualification and carried that form on through to the final to climb to hold 45+ ahead of silver medallist Kazuhiko Yamashita of Japan on hold 44+. The podium was completed with Belgium’s Camille Caulier taking bronze in a hard-fought competition with the podium separated by one hold.

The French golden treble was completed by Elsa Boutel Menard who took the win in the women’s B3. Boutel Menard was the standout performer in qualification with two tops and defended her Laval crown with a 52-hold climb.

Boutel Menard nearest rival was teammate Daphné Guiguen who took silver on hold 26+ ahead of bronze medallist, Romania’s Ionela Dragan who was on hold 25.

Switzerland’s Dominic Geisseler has only missed the podium once in 12 competitions. The Swiss climber also took silver in 2025 in Laval but upgraded it in 2026 with a gold form a hold 33 climb in the men’s AU3.

After his win Geisseler said: “I’m really happy about my final and my whole day. It was all really close. The first half of the final route I had a bit of trouble, but in the second half I really enjoyed it and the flow was coming.”

Israel’s Mor Michael Sapir is no stranger to the podium and experienced the medal winning feeling once again taking silver in the class with a hold 32+ climb. In only his second competition at the level, Argentina’s Guillermo Gouiric got to feel the podium buzz with a bronze medal in yet another close final. Gouiric climbed to hold 31+ for his third-place finish.

The women’s AU3 was won by USA’s Wanying Morningstar who adds gold to the silver she won in her debut competition at the start of the season in Salt Lake City. Morningstar climbed to hold 48+ with silver medallist Rosalie Schaupert on hold 38+. France’s Oriane Ilpide won bronze on hold 35.

Italy’s Lucia Capovilla was one of two climbers with over 10 years of competition experience to take to the women’s AU2 podium. Capovilla climbed to hold 42 to win the class ahead of Laval 2025 winner Siloë Tetaz of France. Tetaz made it to hold 36+ for silver ahead of the other experienced climber, USA’s Maureen Beck, who took bronze with a hold 26+ climb.

In the men’s AL2 final, Spain’s Rubén Roldán Bustos kept his cool to take the gold in his second ever competition at the world level. The Spanish climber moved up from joint third in qualification to take gold with a 38+ hold climb. Another climber moving up from qualification was Norway’s Sebastian Menze. He moved from sixth in qualification to silver position on hold 31+ for his first medal since 2022. The podium was completed by USA’s Lee Shaffer who took bronze on hold 30+ thanks to countback and his better qualification position.

All results from the World Climbing Para Series Laval 2026 can be found here

NEXT UP

The remaining 12 finals will conclude the programme on Saturday, 29 August, from 20:30 (UTC+2). Both finals rounds are livestreamed on the World Climbing YouTube channel.

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.