Lead National Champions were crowned today at the 2026 YETI Climbing National Championships.

The Lead Qualification rounds welcomed 125 of the nation’s top athletes to High Point Climbing and Fitness in Orlando, Florida, with just 50 advancing to the Lead Semi-Finals and 10 earning spots in the Lead Finals.

This has proven to be one of the most competitive National Championships in recent memory. In part, that’s because many Olympians are no longer preselected to USA Climbing’s National Team and must now earn their spots on the 2026 roster. The Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 are also driving motivation. With Olympic qualification events beginning in 2027, athletes are eager to gain international experience and position themselves early in the Olympic cycle.

Raboutou Wins Gold in Women’s Lead

The sold-out crowd roared as some of the most recognizable names in climbing took the stage. The Women’s Final included two Olympians, Kyra Condie and Brooke Raboutou, and two Elite National Championships first-timers, KM Suleman and Evelyn Orton. That’s on top of athletes like Analise Van Hoang, who has been steadily building her medal count.

The Final route had a clear point of separation, with six of the 10 climbers falling at the exact same move while trying to cross off hold 18. Alexandra Inghilterra was the first to unlock it, standing tall for a controlled cross to hold 19 and ultimately finishing with a score of 24+. Analise Van Hoang brought a different style, “double clutching” and cutting her feet to catch holds 19 and 20 almost simultaneously, ultimately finishing with a score of 34+.

Brooke Raboutou planted her feet and gracefully crossed to hold 19, then powered through to the route’s headwall. She gave the crowd hope for the first top but ultimately fell from the final hold, finishing with a score of 46. That effort earned her the gold medal, with Van Hoang and Inghilterra claiming silver and bronze, respectively. Somewhat surprisingly, it was Raboutou’s first time winning a National Championship, despite her countless international successes.

“I tried to take the same mentality that I take into international competitions into this one,” Raboutou told us after her win. “We’re here to push ourselves, but we’re also here to have fun and bring the community together. I’m proud to be a part of it, and it was a really great event.”

Women’s Lead Podium:
Brooke Raboutou
Analise Van Hoang
Alexandra Inghilterra

Duffy Wins Gold in Men’s/Open Lead

The Men’s/Open category also welcomed a star-studded field of competitors. Olympians Nathaniel Coleman, Colin Duffy, and Jesse Grupper all stepped up for their first National Championships in years, while past National Champions like Vail Everett and Dillon Countryman fought to return to the podium.

Grupper kicked things off with an impressive performance, fighting through much of the steepest terrain and setting a high point (28) that held through two more performances. Eventually, Countryman climbed even higher, nearly clearing the steep section before falling on the move to hold 34 at the lip of the headwall, earning a score of 33+.

Duffy became the first to conquer the steep, powerful middle section and give the crowd a look at the final headwall. He moved deliberately through volumes and dual-texture macros before failing to match two small crimps (holds 47 and 48).

That performance secured Duffy the gold medal, with Countryman and Grupper claiming silver and bronze, respectively. This marks just Duffy’s second National Championship title and his first as Lead National Champion.

“It feels so good. (It was) a huge break since my last Nationals,” Duffy told us after his win. “I climbed better than I could’ve imagined this weekend, and the atmosphere was really great.”

Men’s/Open Lead Podium:
Colin Duffy
Dillon Countryman
Jesse Grupper

Full results from the 2026 YETI National Championships can be found here. You can rewatch the Semi-Final and Final rounds on Outside TV.

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