Toby Roberts and Jessica Pilz lead the way in lead
Memories of Paris 2024 will also be abundant amongst the climbers contending for World Cup points in the men’s and women’s lead competitions.
A duel between Britain’s combined gold medallist Toby Roberts and runner-up Sorato Anraku of Japan will headline proceedings in the men’s lead competition, while the absence of double Olympic champion Janja Garnbret will open up the women’s competition to a wide array of top talent.
Austria’s Jessica Pilz will be amongst those eager to occupy the top step of the podium in Garnbret’s absence. She will look to defend the World Cup title she snatched from the Slovenian climber last season, and build on the bronze medal she won at Paris 2024.
Rising stars, such as Team USA’s Annie Sanders, Japan’s Oda Natsumi and Pilz’s teammate Flora Oblasser, will also be eager to leave their mark on the discipline, with the new Olympic cycle bringing an increased focus on specialisation within sport climbing.
It will be a marked change for Spain’s Alberto Gines Lopez, who burst onto the scene at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 due to his strength across all three disciplines.
He’ll look to prove he can hang with the world’s best in lead, as he builds towards a third appearance at the Olympic Games in just under three and a half years.
With World Cup medals on the line, expect nothing less than exceptional climbing in Wujiang.
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