French climber Oriane Bertone secured the gold medal in the women’s boulder final at the IFSC Climbing World Cup in Salt Lake City, topping the podium over Great Britain’s Erin McNeice and Japan’s Mao Nakamura. Grimper reported that Bertone swept the qualification and semifinal rounds before clinching the victory with a clutch flash on the final problem.
Bertone Sweeps Rounds Leading Into Salt Lake City Final
The competition opened with Bertone dominating the early stages on the artificial walls erected at the Salt Lake City baseball stadium. She topped eight of the nine total boulders across the qualification and semifinal sessions. Grimper noted that the women’s finalist field held few surprises compared to the men’s event the previous day, featuring seasoned World Cup finalists including Ayala Kerem, who advanced to her first career medal round.
World Climbing Series, Women's Boulder @ Salt Lake City 2026:🥇 ORIANE BERTONE 🇫🇷🥈 ERIN MCNEICE 🇬🇧🥉 MAO NAKAMURA 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/VafNwzqxho
Nail-Biting Finishes Decide the Boulder Podiums
The final round challenged competitors with distinct problem types, testing both coordination and physical power. Bertone solved the first slab coordination problem after a few attempts, securing an early advantage over the field. When the third slab problem shut down the rest of the starting list, Bertone faced a must-top situation on the final route after McNeice flashed it to briefly take the lead. Bertone responded with a flash of her own to seal the victory.
Final Standings at the Salt Lake City World Cup
Erin McNeice claimed the silver medal after her strong performance on the final boulder, while Mao Nakamura rounded out the podium in third place. Oceania Mackenzie finished fourth, followed by Melody Sekikawa and Ayala Kerem tied for fifth. Annie Sanders took seventh and Anon Matsufuji finished eighth, according to Grimper.
McNeice Wins the 2026 Boulder Series Title
While Bertone took the event win in Utah, Erin McNeice captured the 2026 World Cup bouldering overall season title. McNeice medaled at every stop of the circuit except the opening event in Keqiao, securing a victory in Madrid along the way. Oceania Mackenzie took the overall silver medal as the only woman to reach every final during the season, and Annie Sanders claimed overall bronze after securing two individual victories on the year. Bertone finished fourth in the overall standings despite her victory in Salt Lake City.
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