BOULDER TAKES CENTRE STAGE AS THE U17 ATHLETES OPEN THE QUALIFICATION ROUND
Amélie Kägi and Kazuki Nakata deliver perfect performances, while the leading contenders remain separated by the narrowest of margins
ARCO, ITALY – 22 JULY 2026 – Boulder made its debut at the World Climbing Youth Championship Arco 2026, with the Under 17 athletes taking on the opening qualification round at the Arco Climbing Stadium.
The international route-setting team presented five complex and well-rounded problems, designed to test every aspect of the young climbers’ abilities: technique, explosiveness, coordination and, above all, their capacity to read and interpret the required movements.
KÄGI LEADS A CLOSELY CONTESTED WOMEN’S QUALIFICATION
Switzerland’s Amélie Kägi dominated the women’s qualification round with a flawless performance.
The Swiss climber completed all five problems on her first attempt, achieving a perfect score of 125 points and taking first place in the standings.
Japan’s Marin Nakamura followed closely behind, also completing all five boulders. With four flashes, she finished on 124.8 points.
China’s Youtian Tan placed third with five tops, three of them achieved on her first attempt, for a total of 124.7 points.
The battle for the leading positions remained extremely tight further down the standings. China’s Meini Li finished fourth with 124.5 points, while Italy’s Chiara Franceschi delighted the home crowd by taking fifth place with 124.4.
Korea’s Yun Seo Noh completed the top six with 124.2 points. Just three-tenths of a point separated the athletes from fourth to sixth place, setting the stage for a highly competitive semifinal.
NAKATA PERFECT IN THE MEN’S FIELD
In the men’s qualification round, Japan’s Kazuki Nakata produced the standout performance of the day.
Nakata was the only athlete in the field to complete all five problems on his first attempt, earning the maximum score of 125 points.
Italy’s Pietro Franzoni and Japan’s Taketo Saiki followed just behind. Both athletes recorded five tops, including three flashes, and finished with 124.8 points.
Franzoni’s performance gave the large Italian crowd another reason to celebrate and placed the home athlete firmly among the leading contenders ahead of the next round.
THE U17 ATHLETES PREPARE FOR THE SEMIFINALS
After a qualification round decided by the smallest differences, the top Under 17 climbers will return to the wall on Friday at 9:00 a.m. for the World Championship semifinals.
With the leading athletes separated by fractions of a point, the battle for a place in the final promises another spectacular display of strength, creativity, precision and problem-solving on the Boulder wall in Arco.