Mackenzie eyes Boulder Series title to cap “One of my most successful seasons”
The Australian is one of three climbers in contention for the women’s title, while Anraku Sorato targets a perfect six-win campaign in the final Boulder competition of the season
The 2026 World Climbing Series heads to Salt Lake City, USA, from 16 to 18 October, with Smith’s Ballpark hosting the sixth and final Boulder competition of the season.
With the women’s Boulder Series title still up for grabs and Japan’s Anraku Sorato chasing a historic clean sweep in the men’s event, the penultimate stop of the season promises a decisive weekend of competition.
THREE CLIMBERS, ONE TITLE
Erin McNeice of Great Britain, Oceania Mackenzie of Australia, and Annie Sanders of the USA arrive in Salt Lake City with a chance to claim the women’s Boulder Series 2026 title, all three chasing their first-ever Boulder Series crown.
Mackenzie has been one of the most consistent performers of the season, reaching the final at every Boulder competition so far. The Australian secured her first-ever World Climbing Series gold medal in Bern, Switzerland, also adding bronze medals in Keqiao, China, and Innsbruck, Austria.
Looking back on her campaign, Mackenzie considers 2026 one of the most successful seasons of her career, highlighting the rhythm she developed as the competitions followed one another in quick succession.
“I would definitely rate my season quite highly, as it’s been one of my most successful ones. I’ve also really enjoyed it and got closer with a lot of other athletes,” she said.
After the last Boulder competition in Innsbruck, Austria, the wait for the season’s final round has brought a different kind of challenge. Mackenzie admits that the time between competitions has left her feeling slightly nervous, but she is eager to return to the wall.
“I feel like it’s been so long since Innsbruck already. So it almost feels like it’s been another pre-season to get here, which definitely makes me feel a little nervous, but I’m really looking forward to climbing.”
ANRAKU SORATO CHASES HISTORY
While the women’s title remains undecided, the men’s Boulder competition could see a remarkable milestone.
Anraku Sorato has won all five Boulder competitions held so far in the 2026 season. A victory in Salt Lake City would give the Japanese climber six wins from six events, matching a feat achieved only once before in the history of the Climbing World Cup and World Climbing Series.
The only climber to have previously won all Boulder competitions in a single season is Janja Garnbret of Slovenia, who accomplished the feat in 2019. Coincidentally, her sixth and final victory that year also came on American soil, at the IFSC Climbing World Cup in Vail, Colorado.
MACKENZIE LOOKS AHEAD TO 2032
Beyond the immediate challenge in Salt Lake City, Mackenzie also has plenty to look forward to in the coming years. Asked about the World Climbing Series 2027 calendar, the Australian singled out Japan and Paris as two destinations she is particularly excited to visit, while adding that the entire schedule looks appealing.
Her longer-term ambitions also have a distinctly Australian dimension. With Brisbane set to host the Olympic Games in 2032, the presentation of the Games’ emblems has brought the prospect of competing at a home Olympics into sharper focus.
Although Mackenzie was not yet born when Sydney hosted the Games in 2000, she already knows what it means to feel the support of Australian fans while competing overseas. For her, the prospect of experiencing that support on home soil makes Brisbane 2032 particularly special.
“I always feel the support so much from Australia, even when I’m far away, for competitions in Europe or in the US or wherever. So having the Olympics be in Australia, I think will be absolutely amazing. And the support will be incredible.”
First, however, Mackenzie must focus on the task at hand. With the women’s Boulder Series title on the line and the final competition of the discipline approaching, Salt Lake City offers her the opportunity to turn a successful season into a historic one.
NEXT UP: THE SEASON FINALE IN SANTIAGO
Following the decisive Boulder competition in Salt Lake City, the World Climbing Series 2026 will conclude in Santiago, Chile, from 23 to 25 October, with the remaining Lead and Speed titles still to be settled.
News and updates about the World Climbing Series Salt Lake City 2026 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, Bilibili, Douyin, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu.
