Reigning Boulder world champion Anraku Sorato began the 2026 sport climbing season much as he had ended it: on the top step of the podium.
The Japanese teen, who finished first in the Boulder world rankings last season, had a strong showing on on Sunday (3 May), the final day of the World Climbing Series in Keqiao, People’s Republic of China.
Anraku topped the semi-final in the morning, reaching the top on all Boulders and earning 99.6 points. While he could not match that score in the final, his 84.4 points put him solidly into the lead. Republic of Korea’s Lee Dohyun was 14.8 points behind Anraku to finish second while 2025 world silver medallist Mejdi Schalck of France was third.
An Olympic silver medallist, Anraku reached the top on three of the four Boulders. He needed multiple attempts on each one, particularly struggling with the third, but with his main rivals missing several tops, his tenacity paid off with a winning score.
Qualifications leader Lee had a rough start to the final, not reaching the top until his third Boulder. Once he passed that physical and mental hurdle, however, he was able to catch up and put 69.6 points on the board.
Schalck was the only one of the eight finalists to flash the first Boulder, which put him well into the lead at the start of the competition. A missed second top dropped him down in the rankings and a missed fourth put him behind Lee with 59.8 points.