With a new generation of young climbers frequenting the World Climbing Series in recent history, you sometimes forget that the OGs are still mixing it at the top of the order.

Both Austria’s Schubert and Czechia’s Ondra will contest the men’s Lead final later today, and Schubert is looking forward to competing once again with his long-time friend and rival: “I’m really happy Adam [Ondra] made it as well, we are the two old guns so hand in hand going into the final is great for the atmosphere if he is in it. It’s going to be great.”

Speaking about his climbing in Prague so far Schubert said: “I had a nice time. It was a super nice atmosphere here and I’m really excited to make it to the final as qualis didn’t go super well and luckily I could perform much better here in the semi-final.”

Prague is the first event of the season for Schubert, but he seems to be over some niggling injuries from last year: “I’m completely healthy this year. I felt a little bit rusty bit it’s good to be in a World Climbing Series and see the intensity of the routes and see what you have to work on. There’s always room for improvement and I can realise what I need to work on. But I am feeling good and hopefully I can challenge for a podium tonight.”

Schubert was fourth overall on hold 37+ and Ondra was just behind in fifth on hold 36.

When you talk about the new generation, one name for sure comes to mind – Japan’s Sorato Anraku. He is through to the final in first reaching hold 38+, a result matched by his teammate Neo Suzuki who was second.

Splitting the two pairs was Indonesia’s Putra Tri Ramadani who backed up a first place in qualification to sit third on hold 37+.

The biggest mover of the day was Slovenia’s Luka Potocar who moved up from 21st in qualification to sixth on hold 34 for his final place.

Italy’s Filip Schenk makes the final from seventh position and hold 33+ while the third and final Japanese climber will be Satone Yoshida who was eighth on hold 33.

If Schubert and Ondra are OGs in the men’s category, then Jain Kim is for sure a legend in the women’s. And just like her male counterparts, she has made the final.

Kim said: “It’s unbelieveable. It’s been a while since I was in a final so I’m really happy and now ready to enjoy the final.”

It has been a while since Kim made a final, 2024 in Briançon in fact, but if anyone knows how to take on a final and do well it’s Kim.

Even with the experience, there is still that love for competition climbing: “I still feel nerves and still feel the excitement. And it’s good that guys like Adam and Jakob will also be in the final. It’s going to be a good night.”

Kim progressed in sixth place on hold 42, and just like Potocar in the men’s, Kim moved up from 21st in qualification.

Kim has company in the final from teammate Chaehyun Seo who was top of the semi-final rankings. Although no actual tops in either competition, Seo came the closest on hold 46+.

Seo was not on her own on 46+ though. USA’s Annie Sanders was joint first also on hold 46+ which throws up an interesting narrative. Both Sanders and Seo topped both routes in qualification and both reached the same hold and position in the semi – could Seo be sharing another gold medal in Lead like she did in Wujiang last year with Erin McNeice?

Third overall was Bulgaria’s Aleksandra Totkova who reached hold 44 ahead of USA’s Ella Fisher and France’s Zélia Avezou on hold 43+. Siting in fourth, it will be Fisher’s first World Climbing Series final appearance.

The last two places in the final go to Japan’s Hana Koike and Austria’s Jessica Pilz.

Koike reached hold 41+ but seemed to look a little disappointed coming down from the wall. In 13th position in qualification and out relatively early in the round, maybe she was just unsure if she had done enough – but now the results are in, she has.

Pilz reached hold 40+ to take the final spot in eighth, but by doing that edged out Czechia’s Tereza Siruckova who will have to wait a little while longer to contest a final in her home land.

Both the men’s and women’s finals will take place later today and will bring the curtain down on a World Climbing Series double discipline event.

RESULTS

Women's Lead: https://wclmb.hopp.to/pra26wlr
Men's Lead: https://wclmb.hopp.to/pra26mlr

THE PROGRAMME

The World Climbing Series Prague 2026 will kick off with two days of qualifications: men’s Boulder on Wednesday, 3 June at 9:00 (UTC+2:00), followed by women’s Boulder at 16:00. Lead qualifications will take place on Thursday, 4 June at 10:00.

Semi-finals and finals will liven up the weekend, with men’s Boulder awarding its medals on Friday, 5 June, women’s Boulder on Saturday, and Lead semi-finals and finals closing the event on Sunday, 7 June.

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.