The IFSC Sport Climbing World Cup visited Spain for the first time in more than a decade. The event will be held in Madrid from 18-19 July in which the world’s best climbers will look to shine.
While host of athletes will be at play, all eyes will be on home boy Alberto Ginés López, who won the first-ever Olympic gold medal in men’s sport climbing at Tokyo 2020. At just 18, the Spanish climber from Sant Cugat del Vallès etched his name into history. But with glory came weight — the pressure to stay on top, to defend a title, to be more than a one-time champion.
Fast forward to 2024, and Ginés López’s return to the Olympic stage in Paris ended with a seventh-place finish — a respectable result, yet one that didn’t meet the sky-high expectations placed upon him. In hindsight, it may have been a blessing. Free from the burden of title defense, the 22-year-old has entered 2025 not with something to prove, but with something to reclaim: his love for climbing on his own terms.
This Sport Climbing World Cup season, Ginés López has quietly reasserted himself as one of the most consistent and dangerous competitors on the circuit. He’s made every final, finished second in Chamonix just days ago, and heads into this weekend’s competition in Madrid sitting atop the overall Lead standings. He’s not just climbing well — he’s climbing free.
Home Ground, High Stakes
Madrid offers a unique stage. The Spanish crowd will be behind him, the pressure will be intense, and the storylines will be swirling. Chief among them: the return of Toby Roberts, the British phenom who took the Olympic crown in Paris. The roles have reversed — Roberts now carries the weight Ginés López once did.
Roberts has had a tough season, by his own admission, struggling to find rhythm and consistency. But a recent Boulder victory in Innsbruck showed flashes of his best. He’s dangerous, even if his form has wavered.
But Madrid isn’t just a two-man duel. The men’s field is stacked with generational talent. Anraku Sorato, the teenage sensation from Japan, is fresh off a win in Chamonix and continues to look nearly unstoppable in Lead. Rising stars Yoshida Satone and Max Bertone are also climbing with poise well beyond their years and are more than capable of stealing the spotlight.
A New Chapter
What separates Alberto Ginés López this season isn’t just results — it’s mindset. There’s a lightness in his climbing again, a return to the hunger that brought him to the top in the first place. He’s no longer the Olympic champion carrying a nation’s hopes on his back. He’s just a climber — and that’s exactly what he wants to be.
As the World Cup heads into its crucial stretch, Madrid could be the defining moment. A win at home would solidify his status as the man to beat this season, and more importantly, as a champion redefined not by a single gold medal, but by resilience, evolution, and the love of the sport itself.
Also Read: Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret Strikes Double Gold Sport Climbing World Cup
IFSC Sport Climbing World Cup Madrid 2025: Schedule
(All times local, GMT +2)
Friday, 18 July
- 08:30 Men’s and women’s lead qualification
- 20:30 Men’s and women’s lead semifinals
Saturday, 19 July
- 20:30 Women’s lead final
- 21:30 Men’s lead final
