10 US athletes competed in Lead this week at the IFSC Climbing World Championships, and Annie Sanders reached a new competition milestone, achieving her best Elite World Championships finish yet.

Sanders Finishes 5th in Women’s Lead

Annie Sanders was the lone American to compete in Lead Finals, following a World Cup season full of both Lead and Boulder medals. As usual, she climbed the Final route with slow, controlled precision, surpassing three of the four previous finalists’ high points before coming up short on hold 43. Her final score of 42+ secured her that fifth place finish.

That’s quite the improvement since Sanders’ last Elite World Championships appearance in 2023, where she placed 13th in Lead (and 8th in the combined Boulder & Lead format).

“I’m not in my best shape right now, but it’s been a long season,” Sanders told us after the round, with hopes of more outdoor climbing this fall. “It’s cool to see the progress that I’ve made over these past couple of years.”

Sanders’ trip isn’t over yet though–she’s one of just three US athletes competing in both Lead and Boulder. The Women’s Boulder Semi-Final will pick up on Saturday (or late Friday for those following along in the US).

Also representing Team USA were Analise Van Hoang in 27th, Ella Fisher in 32nd, Zoe Yi in 42nd, and Adriene Akiko Clark in 48th.

Duffy Leads Men’s Team in Semi-Final

On the men’s side, Colin Duffy led the pack, competing in his first World Championships since the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Duffy tiptoed through small crimps on the Semi-Final’s headwall, before falling while reaching for hold 41, giving him a final score of 40+. That landed him in 14th overall.

Like Sanders, Duffy is also competing in Boulder. The Men’s Boulder Semi-Final will start on Sunday (or late Saturday for those following along in the US).

Also representing Team USA were Jesse Grupper in 34th, Nathan Sato in 35th, Sergey Lakhno in 42nd, and Declan Osgood in 59th.

Full results from the IFSC Climbing World Championships Seoul 2025 can be found here. You can rewatch the Finals on the IFSC YouTube Channel.

Follow @usaclimbing on social media for competition updates and behind-the-scenes action.