Laval is a place that for sure will live long in the memory of Francisco Javier Aguilar Amoedo. The Spanish climber has been in the silver medal position behind Japan’s Sho Aita in every competition since 2022, but 2026 is the year that run stops.

Aguilar Amoedo climbed to hold 38 in the men’s B1 while Aita could only reach hold 33+ which meant the Spanish climber would hear his national anthem at the medal ceremony ring out around the venue. It meant Aita would for once have to settle for silver. Aguilar Amoedo’s teammate Guillermo Pelegrín Gómez joined him on the podium after he secured bonze with a hold 27 climb.

Italy’s Nadia Bredice is also a fan of Laval as she defended her 2025 title to win the women’s B1 class ahead of silver medallist Lilli Marie Laschitz from Austria and bronze medallist Tanja Glusic from Slovenia.

After her win Bredice said: “I’m very happy about this competition. I am a little sad about the time as I ran out and I thought I could top the route. But it was a beautiful experience.”

Bredice reached hold 51, Laschitz hold 49 and Glusic hold 37. For 16-year-old Laschitz it is her second silver in her second ever competition at the world level.

Continuing the love of Laval theme, Japan’s Kazuhiro Minowada completed his own personal podium set of medals winning gold in the men’s B2. Minowada already had a silver and bronze from the 2026 season, and he added the third piece of the puzzle with a hold 35 climb. Spain’s Daniel Morante Clemente won silver on hold 33+ and Japan’s Fumiya Hamanoue won bronze on hold 29+.

The women’s B2 competition was the closest of the weekend. Both Great Britain’s Abigail Robinson and Germany’s Luisa Grube topped both qualification routes to tie going into the final. Both once again topped the final route which meant it came down to time to separate the climbers due to their qualification results. It was Robinson who was the quicker to take gold topping the route a full minute quicker than Grube who had to settle for silver. Austria’s Linda Le Bon also topped the final route and took the bronze medal.

Romania’s Cosmin Florin Candoi’s has won every men’s B3 competition he has entered, and that run continues after reaching hold 39 for yet another win ahead of silver medallist Adrian Maillard from France on hold 33 and bronze medallist Daniel-Bebe-Vasilică Andrei from Romania on hold 32+.

World champion Kevin Bartke missed out on a podium finish for the first time in his career in Innsbruck last time out, and the German made a winning return in the men’s AU2 class climbing to hold 31+ for gold. Norway’s Isak Ripman took silver on hold 29+ and France’s Anthony Guillen took bronze for his first ever podium finish on hold 26.

The Al1 competition was once again a combined men’s and women’s affair with Austria’s Angelino Zeller asserting his dominance after a qualification scare. Slovania’s Matej Arh had been the best qualifier, but Zeller climbed to hold 59+ compared to Arh’s 49+ to once again take gold. Belgium’s Pavitra Vandenhoven joined gold medallist Zeller and silver medallist Arh on the podium by taking bronze with a hold 47+ climb.

Germany’s Sebastian Leistner was fourth in his first World Climbing Para Series event in Innsbruck in the men’s RP1. Now Leistner has a medal in just his second start, and that colour is gold.

Leistner was the one to beat from qualification after topping both routes, and he reached hold 54+ for his first win.

“I’m very happy. I was quite nervous at the start as I haven’t had that many competitions up until now. The start was quite tough for me but then it was a lot of endurance which I like.”

The German beat Norway’s Kim Rishaug who took silver on hold 53, but it could have been different after a sticking point in the climb nearly caught Leistner out: “I had a bit of a problem getting my left leg up about halfway through the route, but I knew if I could get out of the overhang, I could use my force and my feet a bit better. I was lucky I could get my foot up and I really enjoyed it.”

Completing the podium was Romania’s Andrei-Serban Popa-Florea who took bronze on hold 49+.

As a newcomer to the Para climbing competition scene, Leistner is enjoying the community and challenges the RP1 brings: “I’m happy competing with all the other athletes in my class as everyone’s disability is so different and everyone has strengths and weaknesses in different routes. I just love climbing, it’s very beautiful.”

Women’s RP1 world champion Melissa Ruiz continued her gold medal winning run with a hold 47+ climb confirming her top spot. The USA climber led two teammates on the all-American podium with Hannah Zook in silver on hold 31+ and Jackie Stewart in bronze on hold 31+.

There were more USA medals in the men’s RP2 with a hard-fought competition between teammates the story. Brayden Butler eventually won gold on hold 33+ ahead of teammate Ben Mayforth on hold 33 for silver. Completing the podium was Austria’s Daniel Wiener on hold 27.

Jasmin Plank did take a gold for Austria in the women’s RP2 by topping the route to make sure of her win. Italy’s Chiara Cavina reached hold 38+ for silver and USA’s Megan Gleason reached hold 37 for bronze.

Another relative newcomer to the series, Slovenia’s Pia Purkart also seems to have taken to competition climbing very quickly by winning gold in the women’s RP3 in just her second world event. It was no mean feat as Purkart climbed to hold 41+ to win ahead of world champion Marina Dias from Brazil who reached hold 32+. Winning bronze was Germany’s Laura Nesciobelli on hold 26+.

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

NEXT UP

The World Climbing Para Series moves on to Asia for the fourth event on the year in Gunsan, South Korea on 29-30 October before the fifth and final event in Fukuoka, Japan on 5-6 November.

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.