Israel's Yonatan Katz secured gold in the men's boulder final at the World Climbing Series in Salt Lake City on Oct. 18, 2026, marking a significant milestone in only his second appearance at the senior level. The victory occurred during the final Boulder competition of the 2026 season, held at Smith's Ballpark, where the baseball infield was transformed into an international climbing arena.
Katz Secures Historic Gold
Katz claimed the championship by successfully navigating a difficult coordination boulder that previous finalists failed to complete. Entering the final boulder, Katz was trailing Great Britain's Max Milne on the leaderboard. However, Katz reached the top of the final problem on his fourth attempt, earning a score of 69.7 points to secure the gold medal.
According to World Climbing, Katz's victory makes him only the second climber from Israel to win a medal at a World Climbing Series event, following Alex Khazanov in 2018. Following Katz, Max Milne took second place with 59.7 points, while Japan's Rei Kawamata finished third with 54.2 points. Sohta Amagasa of Japan placed fourth with 44.4 points.
Reflecting on his win, Katz noted that the victory was a realization of a childhood dream. He stated that he had been working on the specific swing move required for the final boulder for one or two years. He added, "I just turned off my brain, went for it, and managed to grab the jug and heard the crowd, then I screamed as loud as I could."
Ballpark Transformed for Climbing
The competition took place from Oct. 16 to Oct. 18, 2026, at Smith's Ballpark, the longtime home of the Salt Lake Bees. For the first time, an international climbing competition was staged directly on the baseball infield, with the Wasatch Range providing a backdrop for the climbing walls.
USA Climbing reported that the event drew 8,500 spectators throughout the three-day weekend. The atmosphere was described as high-energy, with fans cheering on both Team USA and international athletes. Nekaia Sanders, a member of Team USA, told KSL News that the fans were highly engaged and excited, noting that some spectators had traveled from out of town to attend the event.
Women's Season Results
The women's competition concluded the Boulder season, with Great Britain's Erin McNeice securing the overall season title. Australia's Oce Mackenzie finished second in the standings, while American Annie Sanders finished third.
Sanders, who entered the event in contention for the overall women's series title, delivered a strong performance in the semifinals with the fourth-best score. While she finished seventh in the final round after topping one route, her performance capped a standout 2026 campaign. Sanders' season included gold medals in Prague and Innsbruck and a third-place finish in the overall Boulder Series standings.
Sanders also currently leads the women's Lead rankings. The World Climbing Series will continue with the final Lead and Speed competitions in Santiago, Chile, scheduled for Oct. 23–25.
Global Competition Overview
The Salt Lake City event was the 12th event of the 2026 World Climbing Series. The competition featured 144 registered athletes, including 62 women and 82 men, representing 36 nations across five continents.
On the men's side, Auggie Chi and Colin Duffy both advanced to the semifinals. Duffy, a two-time Olympian, finished 13th in a tightly contested semifinal, missing the final by only 0.5 points.
In the overall 2026 Boulder series rankings, Japan's Sorato Anraku secured the title with 5,048.7 points, having won five of the six gold medals offered during the season. South Korea's Dohyun Lee placed second with 3,095 points, and France's Mejdi Schalck finished third with 2,899.5 points.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 World Climbing Series was organized with support from USA Climbing, the national governing body for competitive climbing in the United States. The organization aims to promote the growth of the sport and showcase its excitement to new audiences in the U.S.
The series now moves to South America for its final stages. The upcoming events in Santiago, Chile, will feature the final Lead and Speed competitions of the year.
