The World Climbing Series Santiago wrapped up this past weekend with an exciting silver medal for Emma Hunt, a first career World Climbing Series podium for bronze medalist Isis Rothfork, and a second Lead final for Ella Fisher! The four-day competition brought together some of the world’s top Lead and Speed athletes for the final stop of the 2026 World Climbing Series season.

Hunt and Rothfork Share the Speed Podium, Hunt Wins Back-To-Back Women’s Speed Series Titles

Hunt set the pace early in Speed Qualification, posting the fastest time of the round at 6.41 seconds. In the gold medal race against China’s Deng Lijuan, Hunt slipped near the end of her run, allowing Deng to finish in 6.38 seconds while Hunt crossed the line in 6.98 seconds to secure silver.

Despite narrowly missing gold, Hunt finished the season on top, retaining her Women’s Speed Series title. She became the first woman since France’s Anouck Jaubert in 2018 to win the overall title in consecutive seasons. Hunt finished the campaign with 4,441 points, ahead of Ukraine’s Polina Khalkevych with 3,620 points and Indonesia’s Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi with 3,450 points.

Isis Rothfork also made her mark in Santiago, earning her first World Climbing Series podium finish. Rothfork faced China’s Mou Yuju in the bronze medal race, pulling ahead to claim bronze with a time of 7.32 seconds to Yuju’s 7.41 seconds.

“Santiago was a great end to the season for me!” Rothfork said. “It was a good test and I’m looking forward to going home and working hard in the off-season. I tried to implement some of the things I’ve learned throughout the season and it turned out well.”

Four Americans Reach Men’s Speed Finals

Team USA saw 4 finalists in Men’s Speed. Michael Hom led the team, claiming 5th place with a time of 4.97 seconds, followed by 6-time gold medalist, Samuel Watson placing 8th with 5.03. Right behind Watson is Taede Mae who finished in 9th with 5.06 seconds and his second final appearance in this season. Mai is aiming his sights on breaking sub-5 seconds. Zach Hammer also reached the finals, but an unfortunate fall brought his run to an early end.

Fisher Reaches Lead Final as Sanders Claims Season Title

Ella Fisher represented Team USA in the Lead Finals, making this her second Lead Finals in the World Climbing Series, her last appearance being in Prague last June. Leading up to Finals, we had Analise Van Hoang snag the 22nd spot at qualifications, claiming her place in Semi-Finals. Annie Sanders also secured the overall Women’s Lead Series title with 4415 points, beating out Chaehyun Seo and Janja Garnbret to finish at the top the 2026 season rankings.

“The overall title wasn’t really on my mind for most of the season, however it’s still super cool to walk away with the win” Sanders told USA Climbing. “This win not only represents the success I’ve had this year, but also the countless years of hard work I put in to reach this place. I’m very happy with this achievement and I’m already looking forward to next season!”

Lakhno Leads Team USA in Men’s Lead

In Men’s Lead, three Team USA athletes competed in the semifinals. Sergey Lakhno narrowly missed the final with a 10th-place finish, followed by Nathaniel Coleman in 13th and Jesse Grupper in 15th.

Looking Ahead

The Santiago competition brought the 2026 World Climbing Series season to a close, giving athletes one final opportunity to compete for podium finishes and solidify their season standings. With the series complete, Team USA athletes will turn their attention to training and preparing for the next steps on the road to Olympic qualification.

Full results from the World Climbing Series Santiago 2026 can be found here. You can rewatch the all the action on World Climbing’s YouTube channel. Follow @usaclimbing on social media for competition updates and behind-the-scenes content.