Paraclimbing World Cup, Innsbruck: Four finalists and comp debuts for GB Paraclimbing

From Monday 23rd to Tuesday 24th of June, the world's Paraclimbing greats gathered at Kletterzentrum Innsbruck for the 2025 IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup. Athletes from 27 countries competed in Monday's qualifiers, with representatives across all sport classes going through to Tuesday's finals.

Innsbruck is the second World Cup of the 2025 Paraclimbing World Cup series after Salt Lake City, and the first since the announcement of the Paralympic classification for the LA28 Paralympics. Read more about classifications at the end of this article.

Great Britain was represented by 20 athletes in the qualifiers at Innsbruck, with four securing spots in the final.

Qualifiers

GB Paraclimbing was represented across across eight classifications in the qualifiers, with 15 athletes competing in the men's events and five in the women's.

Two-time British Champion Luke Jamieson came 6th in the men's RP1, with Salt Lake City silver medallist Luke Smith also taking 6th in the men's RP3. Both put on strong performances to secure their spots in the final. Lucy Keyworth claimed her ticket to Tuesday with 4th place in the women's RP1.

In the women's RP3, competition newcomer Charlotte Andrew took an impressive joint 4th with Brazillian three-time World Cup winner Marina Dias, taking her to the finals in her World Cup debut.

In the men's B3, Lux Losey Sail - who took home a silver medal in Arco in 2024 - fought hard for a joint 4th position with Japan's Takumi Kawamura, but narrowly missed a spot in the finals. Nine-times British Champ Isabella Walsh put in a commendable performance in the women's AU2, but came just short of the finals in 7th place. Notably, 25 year-old Felix Beranger also made his World Cup debut in the men's AU3, taking an impressive 8th place in his category. Two-time bronze World Cup medallist Sebastian Musson finished 6th in the men's AU2, not quite making the finals despite a valiant effort on the wall. Reflecting on both the day and the growth of Paraclimbing as a sport, the 19 year-old said: "Innsbruck has been a comp to remember for all, with it being the first since the announcement of Paraclimbing's inclusion in the LA28 Paralympic Games.

"With so many strong athletes joining the sport, competition across al categories is the closest it's ever been, allowing new athletes to compete in the finals.

"Innsbruck wasn't the best of competitions for me, but a great one to learn from and help me to progress towards South Korea and the last World Cup in Laval."

LEAD - QUALIFIERS

AL1

(men's)

Will Ruane - 10th

Nick Beighton - 11th

AL2

(women's)

Laura Armstrong - 4th

(men's)

Marc Wyatt - 20th

AU2

(women's)

Isabella Walsh - 7th

(men's)

Sebastian Musson - 6th

James Rudge - 7th

AU3

(men's)

Felix Beranger - 8th

Mark Seurre - 10th

B3

(men's)

Lux Losey Sail - 4th

RP1

(women's)

Lucy Keyworth - 4th

Cambell Plant - 6th

(men's)

Luke Jamieson - 6th

Peter McCarthy - 11th

Laurence Morgan - 16th

RP2

(men's)

Jonny Young - 7th

Steve Harper - 11th

RP3

(women's)

Charlotte Andrew - 4th

Anita Aggarwal - 9th

(men's)

Luke Smith - 6th

The Finals

With four GB finalists across three classifications taking to the wall, Tuesday was set to be another day of intense competition in Innsbruck. Luke Jamieson, Luke Smith, Lucy Keyworth and Charlotte Andrew donned their GB kit once again, tackling high humidity on creative and challenging routes.

In the women's RP3, Charlotte Andrew made impressive progress, calmly executing complex moves to secure hold 27+ and 5th place overall. Reflecting on her competition debut, Andrew said: "I came with no expectations, especially with it being my first comp. I didn't expect to make finals - I'm really glad I dug deep and gave it my best! There's been lots of learning along the way, but the Paraclimbing community is such a wholesome and supportive team."

In the women's RP1, Lucy Keyworth showed characteristic determination to reach hold 22+, securing 4th place. Sharing her thoughts on the event, Keyworth said: "I'm really pleased to make my first final. It was a super fun competition, the routes were challenging but enjoyable... I'm excited for the next few years as I push forward for LA."

An impressive fight to hold 29+ saw Luke Jamieson take 6th place in the men's RP1. Finishing in good spirits, he commented: "It was a tough competition this year, everyone stepped up their game with the inclusion for the Paralympics. I'm super excited to see where it goes next - the setting was really good and I was impressed with the quality.

"My focus is now on the World Champs in South Korea. I know what I need to work on and I'm aiming for a podium!"

Teammate Luke Smith finished 6th in the men's RP3 after reaching hold 27, hot on the heels of France's Bastien Thomas and adding another impressive achievement to his 2025 competition season.

Spirits were high and competition fierce in this first World Cup following the announcement of the sport's inclusion in the LA28 Paralympics. The standard of performance by both seasoned athletes and emerging talent on the GB team was indicative of the groundswell surrounding Paraclimbing and its growth into a Paralympic event. Wrapping up the competition, Laura Needham, Head of Performance at the BMC, said: "It has been fantastic to see the Paraclimbing team both on and off the wall. The climbing was incredible, but off the wall is where the real stories are.

"It's a really exciting time for the GB Paraclimbing team."

LEAD - FINALS

RP1

(women's)

Lucy Keyworth - 4th

(men's)

Luke Jamieson - 6th

RP3

(women's)

Charlotte Andrew - 5th

(men's)

Luke Smith - 6th

Eight medal events for Paraclimbing at LA28

In June 2024, the BMC celebrated the official announcement that Paraclimbing would make its debut at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, marking a significant moment in the sport's history.

In the lead-up to the 2025 Paraclimbing World Cup in Innsbruck, a further announcement was made confirming that following extensive consultation and development, there will be eight medal events within the Paraclimbing program, spanning three macro-impairment categories - visually impaired, limbs deficiency, and range and power - and will be divided between men and women equally.

The medal events:

• Visually impaired: women’s B2 and men’s B1
• Upper limb deficiency: women’s and men’s AU2
• Lower limb deficiency: women’s and men’s AL2
• Range and power: women’s and men’s RP1

Categories for Para sports are in place to ensure athletes with similar activity limitations compete together, and classifications vary across different sport types. The events were finalised by the IFSC in consultation with Paraclimbing athletes and the wider climbing community, and its hoped will ensure a broad and inclusive representation of athletes across impairment types.