Ai Mori continued her dominance in sport climbing, clinching her sixth consecutive Japan Cup lead title on Sunday. Sorato Anraku also shone, securing the men’s title to complement his recent boulder national championship victory from a month ago. The competition took place at the DMG Mori Arena in Iga, Mie Prefecture.
Mori, 21, impressed spectators with her skill, becoming the only climber to conquer all four walls over the weekend. “I’m relieved to have overcome the pressure and to have won by topping all the walls,” Mori said after her win. She capped off her performance by stretching to grab the final hold, which was placed in a difficult position on the final wall.
“I’ve had many occasions recently where I fell while trying to get the last hold. I wanted to stop that this time.” Mori, who placed fourth in the boulder-lead combined competition at the Paris Olympics, has already earned a spot in lead for the world championships scheduled for September in Seoul.
Anraku, the Paris Games men’s boulder-lead silver medalist, claimed his first national lead title. The 18-year-old conserved his energy effectively, allowing him to surpass a challenging section in the final that many of his competitors couldn’t clear. “I’ve taken a good look at many areas before winning here. It’s a result born out of efforts,” said Anraku, reflecting on his approach. “I managed to get holds in a slow, assured manner at points where I used to go with momentum.” Anraku is also headed to the world championships, having secured his berth in boulder.
“I’m convinced of my chance of getting good results and development in 2025. I’m looking forward to the worlds too.”
