IFSC Koper 2023 Lead World Cup Results

5C Team

IFSC Koper 2023 Lead World Cup

Koper, Slovenia host the penultimate World Cup event of 2023. At the Slovenia national climbing team’s home ground. Huge crowds turned out to support their national athletes. Last year in Koper it was a bittersweet event with Luka Potocar winning the men’s lead event but Janja Garnbret fell short finishing in 2nd place behind Ai Mori in front of her home crowd. This year 2023 Janja will be looking to win the lead final at home.

IFSC Koper Men’s Lead Finals Result

The men are up first. The final route proved to have a crux section with 6 out of 8 finalists falling around the same area before reaching the headwall. Jesse Grupper was the first to climb past the crux section and finished just 3 moves from topping the route. It was only until Sorato Anraku, the last climber of the men’s final. He came out cruised through the crux and eventually topping the route with ease.

Sorato had already finished the 2023 Bouldering World Cup season as the overall winner. Now with the win for lead in Koper, he is also crowned the overall Lead World Cuper winner of 2023. If that is not impressive enough, bear in mind this is Sorato’s first year competing at the senior level and he is only 16 years of age.

SORATO ANRAKU | JPN
JESSE GRUPPER | USA
ALBERTO GINES LOPEZ | ESP

ifsc koper 2023 mens podium — IFSC Koper World Cup Lead Final – Men’s Podium
PC: IFSC

IFSC Koper Women’s Lead Finals Result

All eyes are on the Slovenia women’s team. With 3 Slovenian climbers in the finals, there were huge expectations from the home crowd. Mia Krampl, Vita Lukan and of course Janja Garnbret. Mia Krampl had a foot slip early into the climb and finished in 8th place. Vita Lukan who had recently won her first lead gold in Briancon was able to carry that momentum and finished in 3rd place.

It was down to the final 2 climbers Ai Mori the winner of last year’s Koper Lead World Cup. Ai Mori had an amazing climb finishing just 2 moves from the top. The script could not be written any better, as it was Janja Garnbret the last climber out. To win she’ll need to finish ahead of Ai Mori meaning she’ll need to reach at least the second last hold or better yet topping the route. In typical Janja fashion, she topped the route in style and with time to spare. Janja had finally reclaimed the Koper Lead title she’d lost last year to Ai Mori.