Lead Series leader Suzuki tops men's qualification in Santiago
Switzerland’s Jonas Utelli claimed the round’s only top, while Chile’s Joaquin Urrutia and three USA climbers also advanced
Suzuki Neo of Japan continued his impressive 2026 campaign by taking first place in the men’s Lead qualification at the World Climbing Series Santiago 2026. The current leader of the Lead Series Ranking presented by Euroholds scored 47+ on the first route and 36+ on the second to finish at the top of the standings.
Indonesia’s Putra Tri Ramadani, currently second in the Series Ranking, also advanced comfortably, placing fourth with scores of 40 and 36+. With Suzuki holding a 760-point advantage over the Indonesian, the Santiago competition offers another opportunity for the Japanese climber to strengthen his grip on the season-long standings.
The standout moment of the qualification round belonged to Switzerland’s Jonas Utelli, who recorded the only top across both routes after being granted a second attempt on the first route following a technical incident.
UTELLI MAKES THE MOST OF A SECOND CHANCE
Utelli’s qualification did not get off to a straightforward start. A spinning foothold interrupted his first ascent, allowing him to reclimb the route. The Swiss climber seized the opportunity, reaching the top on his second attempt before adding 29+ on the second route to finish third overall.
“Well, qualification started pretty, not bad, but with a big surprise with a spinning foothold, a small technical incident. But then I got the only top in the first qualification route. I felt a little bit rusty down low, but then got better and better,” Utelli said.
Having to repeat a substantial portion of a competition route presented its own mental challenge, as he explained.
“It’s always special to do a second go in a competition route for the first 30 moves I already did. You tend to change everything and compare it, so it’s for sure a small mental challenge, but I think I managed it well and was still able to climb quite freely in the second go.”
Beyond his performance on the wall, Utelli has been enjoying his first visit to South America.
“I’m feeling really good. And we are enjoying Chile. It’s my first time in South America. Nice country, good vibes, nice crowd. So really enjoying it.”
HOME SUPPORT FOR URRUTIA, USA TRIO ADVANCES
Chile’s Joaquin Urrutia gave the home crowd another reason to celebrate, qualifying for his second-ever Lead semi-final. His previous appearance at this stage came at the World Climbing Series Chamonix 2026, approximately three months ago.
The USA also secured three places in the next round, including two familiar names with strong connections to the Americas.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist Nathaniel Coleman will compete in a Lead semi-final for the first time since 2022, marking a return to the stage after several seasons away from the discipline’s top 16.
Jesse Grupper also advanced, returning to a venue that holds particularly fond memories. Three years ago, the American won the Pan American Games on the same wall, securing his qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the process.
Grupper was pleased with his opening performance, although the second route presented a different challenge.
“The first route went really well for me. I feel like it allowed me to recover a little bit right towards the head wall. And then I was able to give a good fight at the top. The second route wasn’t as good for me. I had a bit of dry fire on the right hand. But overall, really psyched.”
A WARM WELCOME IN SOUTH AMERICA
Grupper also praised the atmosphere in Santiago, highlighting the enthusiasm of local fans and the support shown to visiting athletes.
“Something that stands out to me about being in South America is that the people are just so supportive of all the athletes, and especially the ones that they know a little bit more. I think it’s really cool that World Climbing is bringing me to South America, and I hope that it stays on the circuit for more time.”
For Grupper, returning to the wall where he secured his Pan American Games victory has added another layer of meaning to the experience.
“I’m not going to lie. It’s the closest thing to a home advantage that I get, even though it’s thousands of miles away from my home. This is basically the closest that I get to having some community and some people that maybe have seen me before. It feels like a lot of support, which is really awesome.”
NEXT UP
The World Climbing Series Santiago 2026 comes to a close tomorrow, Sunday, 25 October, with Lead semi-finals and finals taking place at 9:00 (UTC-3:00) and 18:00, respectively.
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.
