SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — The 2025 Salt Lake City Boulder World Cup is underway, and the women’s semifinals have delivered standout performances, with two athletes achieving perfect scores.
Organized by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), the Salt Lake City leg marks the third Boulder World Cup of the season. Athletes arrived with high expectations following strong results in previous rounds and looked to continue their momentum in pursuit of gold.
In the qualification round, Oriane Bertone of France dominated the leaderboard with a flawless score of 125.0. She was closely followed by Japan’s Miho Nonaka (124.8) and Futaba Ito (124.7), setting the stage for an intense semifinal.
However, the semifinals brought surprises. Bertone, Nonaka, and Ito struggled to repeat their earlier success, allowing new leaders to emerge.
France’s Zélia Avezou and Japan’s Mao Nakamura each earned a perfect 100.0 points in the semifinals, placing them at the top heading into the final round. American climber Annie Sanders, fresh off her World Cup victory in Keqiao, China, followed closely with 99.7 points.
Despite falling just short of a perfect score, Sanders remains a strong contender. Meanwhile, Avezou and Nakamura expressed excitement and determination after their performances.
“I feel I am climbing well, but semifinal and final rounds are very different,” Avezou told the IFSC. “I need to stay confident and hope for a medal.”
Nakamura, who has finished in fourth place three times in previous events, is eager to change that.
“Getting 100 points is amazing—it’s really exciting,” Nakamura said. “But now it’s the final, and I really want a medal. I’ve come close before, but I want to make it onto the podium.”
As the finals approach, athletes will face tougher problems and tighter competition. With medals on the line, the pressure is building. Every move will count in the climbers’ bid for glory.