Back to News This past week, 20 climbers represented Team USA in Santiago, Chile for the IFSC Pan American Championships. For 15 athletes, this was their first time ever competing at this specific event, although five athletes have been to Pan American Youth Championships in the past. The Pan American Championships is a multi-day event exclusively for athletes from the Americas to compete on a continental stage. Similar to other competitions, athletes have the opportunity to compete in all three disciplines: Boulder, Lead, and Speed. November 20th marked the start of the competition with the men’s Lead qualification and the women’s Boulder qualification rounds. The women’s and men’s Boulder finals concluded the event on November 24th, with an award ceremony that followed revealing extremely promising results for the US. The US national team won more medals than any other team at the championships. Sato Takes Gold in Lead US athlete Nathan Sato from Colorado took gold in Lead, which marked Sato’s best performance at any IFSC competition he’s been in so far, with his experience in the IFSC circuit going back to 2022 when he was still competing in the youth circuit. After placing eighth in Lead at his first Youth World Championship in 2022, Sato has climbed in one more Youth World Championship and four more IFSC World Cups before making it to the Pan American Championships. Also earning a spot on the podium in the men’s Lead final was Declan Osgood who won bronze, with a surprising comeback after initially tying for seventh during qualifiers. Also representing the US in the men’s Lead discipline were Hugo Hoyer and Cruz Padilla. Men’s Lead podium. (Photo: Dmitry Arsentyev) Olivia Ma and Kyra Condie Place Back to Back in the Women’s Lead Final US athlete Olivia Ma from New Jersey took silver in Lead with a score of 38+, with Kyra Condie from Utah following closely behind in third with a score of 37. Interestingly, Ma also got silver at the 2019 IFSC Youth Championships in Boulder. Being 9 years older than Ma, Condie has an extensive list of IFSC competition experience going back to 2012, with a consistent spot on the Olympic team since 2020. Also representing the US in the women’s Lead discipline was Adriene Akiko Clark. Women’s Lead podium. (Photo: Dmitry Arsentyev) Lin and Jennings Podium Seconds Apart US athlete Thomas Lin from California took silver in Speed, with Lin falling behind Ecuador’s Carlos Felipe Granja Lopez by only 0.28 seconds in the final. Lin has the least IFSC competition experience out of his teammates, but in 2024 alone he’s already competed in five IFSC events. Ben Jennings from Indiana took bronze, with Speed being the only discipline he’s competed in during any IFSC competition. His time of 5.98 seconds earned Jennings a spot at third. Lin achieved a slightly shorter time at 5.79 seconds. Also representing the US in the men’s Speed discipline were Noah Bratschi and Aidan Goddard. Men’s Speed podium. (Photo: Phuc Nguyen) Runnels Takes Bronze in Speed US athlete Liberty Runnels from Texas took bronze in Speed, only three-hundredths of a second in front of Sophia Curcio from Georgia. Runnels began competing in IFSC competitions in 2022 exclusively in Speed climbing, with this performance being her best at 8.74 seconds in her final round. Also representing the US in the women’s Speed discipline were Lily Nguyen and Micaela Patajo. Women’s Speed podium. (Photo: Phuc Nguyen) Clark Wins Gold in Boulder US athlete Adriene Akiko Clark from Colorado took gold in Boulder, marking Clark’s best performance at any IFSC competition she’s been in so far. Since 2022 at the IFSC World Cup Seoul, Clark has competed in 12 IFSC events, however, her placement in Santiago reigns as her greatest performance so far. Also representing the US in the women’s Boulder discipline were Kyra Condie, Kylie Cullen, and Nekaia Sanders. Women’s Boulder podium. (Photo: Daria Arsenteva) Hugo Hoyer Places Second in Boulder US athlete Hugo Hoyer from Tennessee placed second in Boulder, with an active career in IFSC competitions since his participation in the Youth World Championships back in 2021. Hoyer made a consistent impression on the youth circuit, with his most notable performance being when he became the 2022 Youth World Champion in Boulder. Also representing the US in the men’s Boulder discipline were Charles Barron, Simon Hibbeler, and Adam Shahar. Simon Hibbeler and Hugo Hoyer hug after the men’s Boulder final. (Photo: Daria Arsenteva) Follow @usaclimbing on social media for competition updates and behind-the-scenes action.