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

British Climber 'Shocked' After Securing First Boulder World Cup Gold Medal

Originally posted on Outdoors on SI | By Maria Aldrich | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 2:45 AM ET

Switzerland is currently hosting the 24th Climbing World Cup event, marking the second World Cup to be held in Bern, the nation's capital. According to the IFSC Facts and Statistics release, 79 women and 91 men were welcomed to the city for a chance at taking home gold. While the men are yet to compete in the semifinals and finals, the women have just wrapped up their events.

During the semifinals, the women faced challenging boulder problems, with only one climber, Miho Nonaka, able to top out on more than one boulder. Despite the difficulty, athletes remained optimistic and prepared for the final round.

Erin McNeice Dominates and Lands First Boulder World Cup Gold Medal

21-year-old Olympian Erin McNeice of Great Britain hit a significant milestone in her career at the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup in Bern after clinching the finals and earning her first Boulder World Cup gold medal.

Although McNeice is no stranger to winning, this achievement did not come with ease. At the 2025 Lead World Cup in Bali, the young star took home gold, which left her with a strong taste for victory. Now landing in first place in the boulder competition with a score of 99.5, McNeice continues to grow as a well-rounded climber.

Per Olympics.com, in speaking with the IFSC following the finals, McNeice stated:

"I am happy, elated, and quite shocked. It just feels so good. It feels pretty good to get a gold in both. It is a massive long-term goal for me, and it feels so good to tick it off."

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Taking home silver was American star Annie Sanders with a score of 84.4, followed by Miho Nonaka of Japan, who posted an 84.3. During the semifinals, given that Nonaka was the only climber to top out on more than one boulder, it looked as though she was heading in the direction of clinching the victory. McNeice took second place in the semis but rapidly emerged during the finals, which resulted in her colossal triumph.

Now that the women's events have concluded, it's time for the men to take center stage on Sunday when they compete in the semifinals. The quarterfinal results, unsurprisingly, showed that it was in the lead with a score of 124.4. However, as the women proved on Saturday, things can change in the blink of an eye.

Both competitions can be live-streamed or viewed on demand on the with detailed results regularly updated on the IFSC website.

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

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