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\u2019s Boulder Series 2026 title, all three chasing their first-ever Boulder Series crown starting today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the women\u2019s Boulder Series title still up for grabs and Japan\u2019s Anraku Sorato chasing a historic clean sweep in the men\u2019s event, the penultimate stop of the World Climbing Series promises a decisive weekend of competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI would definitely rate my season quite highly, as it\u2019s been one of my most successful ones. I\u2019ve also really enjoyed it and got closer with a lot of other athletes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the last Boulder competition in Innsbruck, Austria, the wait for the season\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI feel like it\u2019s been so long since Innsbruck already. So it almost feels like it\u2019s been another pre-season to get here, which definitely makes me feel a little nervous, but I\u2019m really looking forward to climbing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the women\u2019s title remains undecided, the men\u2019s Boulder competition could see a remarkable milestone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019 emblems has brought the prospect of competing at a home Olympics into sharper focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI always feel the support so much from Australia, even when I\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, however, Mackenzie must focus on the task at hand. With the women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Erin McNeice of Great Britain, Oceania Mackenzie of Australia, and Annie Sanders of the USA arrive in Salt<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[406,102],"class_list":["post-16721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","tag-boulder","tag-sport-climbing"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t