Anraku Sorato leads an all-Asian Podium (Photo by World Climbing)
Anraku Sorato of Japan continued his remarkable run of form at the World Climbing Series Innsbruck, taking gold in the men’s Boulder final with 74.0 points.
The Japanese climber claimed his fifth consecutive Boulder victory of the season after a final where the outcome was decided on the opening three boulders, as M4 yielded no points to any of the eight finalists.
Anraku set the pace early, flashing both M1 and M3 and matching the field’s best performance on the first three boulders. The decisive moment came on M2, where the Japanese climber finally secured the top after 11 attempts.
That stubborn top proved the difference between gold and silver. While several athletes collected valuable points on the opening problem, Anraku’s perseverance on M2 allowed him to overtake teammate Kawamata Rei and finish on 74.0 points, comfortably clear of the rest of the field.
The victory extended Anraku’s winning streak to five consecutive Boulder World Cups in 2026, improving the record he had already set with his triumph in Prague earlier this month.
The Innsbruck gold also delivered another milestone, as Anraku secured a fourth consecutive men’s Boulder Series title. Since making his World Cup debut season in 2023, the Japanese climber has won every Boulder Series trophy available, establishing a new benchmark for consistency in the discipline.
Kawamata secured the second Boulder Series medal of his career with silver on 59.3 points. The 22-year-old Japanese climber returned to the podium for the first time since winning bronze in Salt Lake City, USA, in 2022.
Lee Dohyun of South Korea completed the top-three with 59.3 points. The South Korean matched Kawamata’s score but was ranked third after requiring more attempts to secure zone holds. The bronze medal was Lee’s third podium finish of the season and strengthened his hold on second place in the men’s Boulder Series Ranking presented by Euroholds.
Kawamata’s silver medal was also significant for Team Japan. He became only the second Japanese climber to reach a men’s Boulder podium without being named Anraku during the current era of Japanese dominance.
France’s Sam Avezou placed fourth with 49.9 points. The French Boulder and Lead climber has only competed in two Boulder Series events in 2026 – Prague, Czechia, and Innsbruck – and finished just outside the podium on both occasions.
A second South Korean climber, veteran Chon Jongwon, followed in fifth place with 49.8 points, while Hannes Van Duysen of Belgium took sixth with 44.6 points.
The third Japanese finalist, Amagasa Sohta, finished seventh with 43.5 points, while Maximillian Milne of Great Britain closed the standings in eighth place with 34.4 points.
