Reigning and former world champions, World Tour winners and emerging talent make up the impressive field of athletes set to contest the opening UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup of the 2025-2026 season.
As has become tradition, the World Tour commences in Asia with Cheongsong, a regular host of UIAA competitions for over 15 years, welcoming athletes to the South Korean mountains. The event is supported by the Korean Alpine Federation (KAF) and the Cheongsong municipality.
The 2025-2026 UIAA ice climbing season welcomes Fixe as Official Technical Partner. The technical staff and teams at each World Cup event will use Fixe ropes, carabiners, anchors, harnesses, and helmets, with the brand covering all organisational needs in these product categories. Additionally, the world’s top ice climbers will use Fixe ropes, carabiners, and quickdraws throughout the circuit.
Some 120 athletes from the following nations are expected to compete in Cheongsong – Canada, Czechia, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hong Kong – China, Iran, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the United States. Host nation South Korea bring a massive team of 25 athletes.
Competition takes place on the weekend of 9-10 January. Saturday is reserved for the difficulty (lead) qualifications and entire speed competition. Difficulty semi-finals and finals make up Sunday’s programme. Livestreaming will be available for the later rounds of the speed competition and difficulty semi-finals and finals. Links and embed codes are provided below. Time zone convertor
Speed Final, Saturday 9 January, 17:30-19:00 local time
Lead Semi-Finals, Sunday 10 January, 08:30-12:00 local time
Lead Finals, Sunday 10 January, 14:40-16:40 local time
Difficulty: Who can deny South Korea?
Local athletes typically excel in Cheongsong. Over the past three editions, the Korean team has taken five gold medals from a possible 12 including three different winners of the male difficulty competition. Two of whom, reigning world champion Younggeon Lee and former world champion Heeyong Park are in attendance this weekend. They will be joined by multiple world champion and World Cup winner Woonseon Shin who will be one of the favourites in the female event.
However, the local team will have to overcome tough competition. Team France will likely pose a major threat. Former world champion Louna Ladevant has always found Cheongsong a tough venue to podium but will be amongst the favourites to medal together with his brother Tristan and compatriots Virgile Devin and Marion Salmon-Thomas.
Spain’s rising star Jorge Veiga Rodriguez is chasing a first World Cup medal while Iran’s Mohammedreza Safdarian, competing in both disciplines, will be one to watch. Equally versatile is Catalina Shirley of the United States, another potential podium placer in both disciplines. Athletes from Liechtenstein and Switzerland should prove competitive as will Netherlands’ Marianne van der Steen and Ireland’s former Korea resident Eimir McSwiggan.
Speed: An open field
In the past three editions there have been six different winners of the speed competition. Five of whom will be in attendance at the weekend. In addition to Safdarian, Iran’s Mohsen Beheshti Rad has previously won in Cheongsong whilst last year’s competition was claimed by Mongolia’s Kherlen Nymadoo. Teammate Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar, winner of the last two year World Tours despite never winning in Cheongsong, will also be a strong contender.
In the women’s competition both Shirley and Selenge Nyamdoo have won gold on the Cheongsong wall. Likely to push them close are Aneta Louzecka, the world champion from Czechia, Olga Kosek of Poland, a speed medallist on two occasions last season and the Beck sisters, Lorena and Lea, from Liechtenstein.
Further Details
Event page
Event programme
Registered athletes
How to follow the World Cups
For each World Cup event, a preview and review press release will be made available. Subscribe here to UIAA ice climbing press releases.
Livestreaming will be made available on the UIAA YouTube channel for all semi-finals and finals and certain qualification rounds.
On the UIAA Facebook and Instagram channels, shortform content including video clips and behind the scenes highlights will be posted as well as updates about livestreaming timings as well as podium winner posts and ‘climbs of the weekend’ clips.
Live results are available from the UIAA Results service.
The UIAA Ice Climbing website provides full information about each event including programmes and provisional timings.
Photos from competitions will available on the UIAA Flickr Channel. A ‘best of’ gallery for media wishing to preview the 2025-2026 season is available here.
Main photo credit: UIAA/Rhea Kang
