BURSTErin McNeice started the 2025 World Cup season with a single Boulder bronze medal to her name. Now, just three events into the season, she has another Boulder bronze plus two straight Lead World Cup golds to add to her collection. She was flawless at this weekend’s Lead World Cup in Bali, topping every route she encountered in the qualification round, semi-final, and final, securing her the gold medal victory.
In today’s final, Laura Rogora had a good fight on the route, falling reaching for hold 43, just two holds from the top. Ai Mori, in her World Cup seasonal debut, topped the route but clipped the final quickdraw after the clock struck zero. She was awarded hold 45 rather than a ‘Top’. Chaehyun Seo came out second-last, making easy work of the route, reaching the final move with over a minute to spare. The move gave her some trouble but she stuck it and clipped, earning a ‘Top’. The gold was hers if the final climber of the evening, McNeice, didn’t top the route.
Like Seo, McNeice climbed the first three-quarters of the route with apparent ease. You could tell she was pumped on the upper headwall but she kept it together and finished the route, earning gold. For the second comp in a row, the separation between Seo and McNeice was incredibly tiny. The two athletes both topped the final and semi-final routes in Bali. McNeice topped both qualification round routes, while Seo only topped one. At last week’s Lead World Cup in Wujiang, McNeice and Seo tied for gold, a highly improbable finish under the current IFSC ruleset.
With McNeice earning gold and Seo silver, Mori took bronze and Rogora placed fourth. “I’m so, so happy,” said McNeice after the comp. “I knew the route had two tops already, so it was stressful to come out and get the top, but I was happy to come out and get it.”
McNeice has been on the World Cup circuit since 2022. She won her first-ever World Cup medal at the Boulder World Cup in Seoul last season. Last season she earned her Olympic spot through the Olympic Qualifier Series, placing fifth overall at the Paris Summer Games. She won bronze two weeks ago at the Boulder World Cup in Keqiao and gold one week ago at the Lead World Cup in Wujiang.
It’s important to mention that many of the world’s best comp climbers didn’t participate in the Bali Lead World Cup event. Janja Garnbret and Brooke Raboutou are sitting out much of the 2025 World Cup season. Natalia Grossman is out recovering from knee surgery. Jessy Pilz and Annie Sanders didn’t compete.
Final Results
- Erin McNeice (GBR) TOP
- Chaehyun Seo (KOR) TOP
- Ai Mori (JPN) 45
- Laura Rogora (ITA) 42+
- Oceania Mackenzie (AUS) 39+
- Flora Oblasser (AUT) 37+
- Mia Krampl (SLO) 34+
- Rosa Rekar (SLO) 31+
Bali Lead World Cup Finals Livestream Replay
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