Aug 6, 2024; Le Bourget, France; Miho Nonaka of Team Japan during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-Imagn Images Jack Gruber-Imagn Images

Boulder Problems Result in Low Scores at IFSC World Cup Semifinals

Originally posted on Outdoors on SI | By Maria Aldrich | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 12:15 PM ET

The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Boulder World Cup in Bern, Switzerland, is well on its way to determining who will be crowned champion. The women's semifinals concluded, and results directly reflected the difficulty of the presented boulder problems.

Per the IFSC, only one climber was able to top more than one boulder — Miho Nonaka. During qualifications, results looked more promising. Annie Sanders of the U.S., Agathe Calliet of France, and Miho Nonaka of Japan took the lead. However, things took a turn during the semifinals with numerous athletes struggling on the wall.

Women's Results Dip During Boulder Semifinals in Bern

Showing consistency on the wall this time around is 28-year-old Japanese climber Miho Nonaka. While her semifinal score of 59.5 was lower than expected, it was the highest score out of the women. Below Nonaka, with a score of 54.8, was Erin McNeice, followed by Zélia Avezou, who posted an incredibly tight number of 54.7.

"The semi-final was quite a lot of fun, the blocks were a lot harder than yesterday, which is very enjoyable," McNeice relayed to the IFSC. "I think it's very hard to get the setting right, but I would much prefer it to be a lot harder than for it to be much easier. I enjoyed this round much more than yesterday's. I feel like I'm planning quite well. I'm sort of in the second stint of my season, and I have had a bit of time to train, so I'm not feeling too fatigued yet."

The semifinal round was undeniably more challenging than many anticipated. However, this is what the athletes thrive under — pressure, challenge, and elements of surprise. That is simply the nature of competition climbing. Time will tell if the men have a similar experience as they navigate their wall in the semis.

On Saturday at 17:00 (UTC+2:00) the women will be taking center stage yet again for the finals. On Sunday, the men will compete in their semifinals and finals. A detailed schedule of events for the remainder of the competition can be located on the official IFSC website, with live streaming available on the IFSC YouTube Channel.

This article first appeared on Outdoors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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