The 2026 YETI Climbing National Championships came to a gripping finale last night in Orlando, Florida, as Boulder National Champions were crowned before a sold-out crowd. Of the 151 elite athletes who competed in the Boulder Qualification rounds, just 18 advanced to the Finals. That group included two Olympians (Natalia Grossman and Brooke Raboutou), three former Boulder National Champions (Melina Costanza, Vail Everett, and Natalia Grossman), and three Elite National Championships first-timers (Landers Gaydosh, Kailyn Leong, and KM Suleman). Grossman Wins Gold in Women’s Boulder Natalia Grossman, having claimed the final spot in the Women’s Final after appeal concluded, was first out of the gate. She spent much of the earlier rounds making careful decisions in hopes of not aggravating a shoulder injury. She partially dislocated that shoulder earlier this year and expressed uncertainty about her level of participation at the National Championships just days before they began. Much to the crowd’s excitement, she set the tone for the round with a quick flash of the first boulder. Only one other competitor, Melina Costanza, topped that problem. Costanza, the 2024 Boulder National Champion, carried contagious excitement throughout the round, smiling after every attempt. After securing her first top, she reached the 10 hold on the second, third, and fourth boulders, more than most of the field. Brooke Raboutou, who became the 2026 Lead National Champion just three days earlier, quickly topped the second and fourth boulders, sending the crowd into applause. Grossman returned to flash the third and fourth boulders, looking more confident than she had all weekend. By the time she executed the technical footwork on the fourth boulder and secured the top hold, her title as National Champion was sealed. Grossman shed tears as the crowd roared, and several friends from the Semi-Final confirmed her victory with excited nods. Raboutou’s two tops earned her the silver medal, while Costanza claimed bronze. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to compete or not and I decided I was just going to show up and look at the boulders. And they were probably the most shoulder friendly boulders we’ve had all weekend,” Grossman shared after her win. “It was pretty freeing. Lots of sobbing has happened in this competition, lots of emotions.” Women’s Boulder Podium: Natalia Grossman Brooke Raboutou Melina Costanza Hoyer Wins Gold in Men’s/Open Boulder The Men’s/Open Final featured an exciting mix of competitors, with Auggie Chi and Landers Gaydosh both making their first Elite National Championships Final appearances, while climbers like Hugo Hoyer and Sergey Lakhno looked to return to the national podium. Compared to the women’s round, success was measured in moves rather than tops for the men. Lakhno reached just one 10 hold across the first three boulders but secured a crucial flash on the fourth, putting him ahead of most finalists. Cozmo Rothfork didn’t earn a top but delivered consistency, reaching the 10 hold on all four boulders. He was the only competitor to do so. Hoyer, who was the 2023 Lead National Champion and has stood on both National Championships and National Team Trials Boulder podiums multiple times since, appeared composed throughout the round. “I knew (the boulders) were hard because of how few people were coming back early,” Hoyer told us. “I knew that I prepared well, so if the boulders are going to be hard for me they’re probably going to be hard for a lot of people.” Hoyer reached the 10 hold on the first two boulders, then secured one of only two tops in the round on the fourth boulder. That performance earned him the gold medal and the title of Boulder National Champion. Rothfork took silver, while Lakhno earned bronze. “It feels like it’s the last thing that I haven’t done. I’ve never been Boulder National Champion,” Hoyer said after his win. Men’s Boulder Podium: Hugo Hoyer Cozmo Rothfork Sergey Lakhno 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.
Excitement swelled Friday night as the 2026 Speed National Champions were crowned. 52 of the best Speed athletes in the country made the trip to Orlando, Florida, and just 16 advanced to the Finals. Among them were Olympian Piper Kelly and three past Speed National Champions: Merritt Ernsberger, Isis Rothfork, and Michael Hom. The Finals field also featured three Elite National Championships first-timers (Jaden Chin, Renata Podlesny, and Olivia Yandora), showcasing the rising talent in the discipline. Jennings Wins Gold in Men’s/Open Speed Personal bests continued to fall as the Men’s/Open Finalists consistently sprinted up the 15-meter Speed wall in just over five seconds. In the ¼ Final, Noah Bratschi posted the fastest time of the round at 5.10 seconds. He matched that time again in the ½ Final, advancing to the Big Final against Ben Jennings. In the Big Final, Jennings delivered when it mattered most, also stopping the clock at 5.10 seconds while Bratschi slipped mid-run. The result earned Jennings the gold medal and Bratschi silver, marking Jennings’ first National Championship title. In the Small Final, William Eaton beat Jaden Chin by just five milliseconds to claim the bronze medal. “I’m over the moon… kind of speechless. I’m not sure it’s fully processed yet,” Jennings told us after the round. “A domestic win under my belt feels really good especially after the last World Cup season.” Men’s Speed Podium: Ben Jennings Noah Bratschi William Eaton Curcio Wins Gold in Women’s Speed Fierce competition continued in the Women’s Final, with races again separated by fractions of a second. In the ½ Final, Piper Kelly set the round’s fastest time at just 7.20 seconds. That was matched by Sophia Curcio, pitting the two against each other for the Big Final. In that final race, Curcio delivered the fastest time of the night, stopping the clock at 6.95 seconds, a personal best in competition. The performance earned her the gold medal and her first National Championship title, while Kelly secured silver. In the Small Final, Kayleigh Borek defeated Madi Walsh by just 10 milliseconds to take bronze. “I was always a really consistent athlete, but it was hard to balance getting faster and consistent at the same time,” Curcio told us after her win. “Times just keep dropping so you really have to compete with great people out there.” Women’s Speed Podium: Sophia Curcio Piper Kelly Kayleigh Borek 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.
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.
The 2026 YETI National Championships kick off this week at High Point in Orlando, FL! 249 registered athletes will compete for the title of National Champion in the Boulder, Lead, and Speed categories. For those interested in joining the action live, limited spectator tickets are available. The Semi-Finals and Finals will also stream live on Outside TV, starting at 10:00 a.m. EST on Thursday, February 12 with Lead Semi-Finals. In the booth providing commentary will be Meagan Martin, who competed at National-and-International-level competitions for nearly two decades. How To Watch (all times EST) Thursday, February 12 10:00 a.m. | Lead Semi-Finals – LIVE on Outside TV 6:00 p.m. | Lead Finals – LIVE on Outside TV Friday, February 13 6:00 p.m. | Speed Finals – LIVE on Outside TV Sunday, February 15 10:00 a.m. | Boulder Semi-Finals – LIVE on Outside TV 6:00 p.m. | Boulder Finals – LIVE on Outside TV
USA Climbing today announced a significant calendar update: the YETI National Championships will move from October 2025 to February 2026. The new timing, set just ahead of the 2026 National Team Trials Presented by YETI in March, is aimed at better serving athlete performance and national team selection. The YETI National Championships will crown six national champions across the Boulder, Lead, and Speed disciplines and serve as one of two elite team selection events (the other being the National Team Trials Presented by YETI). The changes comes in response to feedback provided by the USA Climbing Athletes’ Commission and in coordination with USA Climbing’s partners. Holding the two selection events closer together and nearer the start of the IFSC World Cup season could result in more consistent performance from athletes and provide them with a meaningful off-season following the World Cup circuit. “This change is an important step in supporting the long-term success of our athletes,” said Marc Norman, President and CEO of USA Climbing. “By acting on athlete feedback, we hope to improve the team selection process and performance of our competitors.” Further details on the exact dates and location of the YETI National Championships will be announced later this year.