The World Climbing Series 2026 heads to one of its most iconic destinations this week as Chamonix, France, welcomes the eighth stop of the season from 10 to 12 July. Set beneath the peaks of Mont Blanc in the historic Place du Mont Blanc, the event returns to the city that hosted the first-ever Winter Olympic Games in 1924.

For Speed climbers, Chamonix marks the fourth competition of the season and the first since last week’s groundbreaking event in Kraków, Poland, where the four-lane Speed wall made its World Climbing debut.

PITCHER EYES ANOTHER STEP FORWARD

Among the athletes looking to build on a strong start to the season is Canada’s Ethan Pitcher. The 25-year-old from Brentwood Bay opened his campaign by setting a new personal best and Canadian record of 5.23 seconds in Wujiang, China, and arrives in Chamonix full of confidence.

“I am very excited,” said Pitcher. “I’ve been training harder than ever before and Chamonix is always such a blast. I can’t wait to get up on that stage and just have fun.”

Pitcher was also among the athletes embracing the new four-lane format introduced in Kraków and hopes to see it become a permanent feature of international competition.

“Four-lane was incredible,” he said. “It’s been amazing to see the sport grow so big so quickly. Already having two more events to look forward to is so cool to see and I would absolutely love to see more of it, especially with Brisbane looming in the future.”

The Canadian believes the sport’s momentum extends well beyond international competitions: “The visible growth in our sport has been undeniable. The best example I can give is when I’m travelling in the airport and people see me in my national team gear and ask me what sport I do. Not only do they know what Climbing is, they immediately follow up with: ‘That’s so cool! Do you do Speed Climbing?’”

Despite already rewriting Canada’s record books multiple times, Pitcher says his biggest target still lies ahead.

“I’ve lost track,” he laughed. “I’m always looking to improve and so long as I grow I’m happy. However, I do have a white whale for this season. I’ve been dancing on the edge of five seconds for a long time now, so if I see something start with a four it’s safe to say I’ll be over the moon.”

WORLD’S FASTEST RETURN TO ACTION

The women’s competition will once again feature Emma Hunt of the USA, who arrives in Chamonix after making history in Kraków by becoming the first woman ever to race below the six-second barrier with a world-record 5.99 seconds.

Indonesia’s Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi will also be among the favourites after claiming victory in Kraków, where she continued to close the gap to the six-second mark.

Home supporters will have plenty to cheer for with Paris 2024 Olympians Capucine Viglione and Manon Lebon headlining the French team on one of the most atmospheric stages of the World Climbing calendar.

In the men’s competition, all eyes will once again be on the rivalry between China’s Zhao Yicheng and USA’s Samuel Watson. Zhao opened the season by defeating Watson in Wujiang while writing a new world record, before the American responded in Kraków with victory and a personal best, setting the stage for another chapter in one of Speed climbing’s most compelling duels.

Olympic champion Veddriq Leonardo will lead another strong Indonesian contingent, while Pitcher and a host of emerging talents will look to challenge the established stars as the race for the World Climbing Series podium continues.

NEXT UP

The World Climbing Series Chamonix 2026 gets underway tonight with the Speed competition. Qualifications are scheduled to start at 19:30 (UTC+2:00), while the finals will take place tomorrow evening at 21:00.

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.