{"id":33300,"date":"2026-11-03T14:52:48","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T14:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=33300"},"modified":"2026-11-03T14:52:48","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T14:52:48","slug":"how-yonatan-katz-cracked-the-boulder-nobody-could-solve-at-the-world-climbing-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=33300","title":{"rendered":"How Yonatan Katz Cracked the Boulder Nobody Could Solve at the World Climbing Series"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Climbing is what happens when you take a gym rat\u2019s obsession with grip strength, remove the floor, and let gravity do its thing. There\u2019s no bench to lie on, no belt to tighten, and no place to hide a weak link. You have to get your body up a wall using holds that sometimes look so bleak the edge of a credit card looks like it might offer more purchase. And if you screw up, you better hope your rope is knotted correctly.<\/p>\n

That was on full display at the World Climbing Series<\/a> bouldering finale in Salt Lake City, October 16-18. In the men\u2019s final, Israel\u2019s Yonatan Katz won gold on only his second start in the senior international series. He went into the final problem behind Britain\u2019s Maximillian Milne and came out the winner after pulling off a move nobody else in the final had managed.<\/p>\n

World Climbing Series Salt Lake City Results Breakdown<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s how it happened. The last boulder was a nasty coordination problem. Before Katz stepped up, the other finalists who had attempted it hadn\u2019t even reached the scoring zone, a designated hold partway up the route. On his fourth try, Katz got past the zone and reached the top. He finished with 69.7 points. Milne couldn\u2019t answer on his turn and took silver with 59.7. Japan\u2019s Rei Kawamata was third with 54.2. For a sport that looks, to outsiders, like a bunch of people climbing a wall, there was a hell of a lot of drama hanging off those holds.<\/p>\n

The women\u2019s final the next day had its own story. France\u2019s Oriane Bertone won with 84.6 points after being the only finalist to complete the first boulder. Britain\u2019s Erin McNeice finished second with 69.7, barely ahead of Japan\u2019s Mao Nakamura at 69.6. McNeice didn\u2019t win that night, but she won the season-long Boulder title. She\u2019d opened the series in 11th place and followed it with a gold and four silvers.<\/p>\n

Even the King Can Be Shut Out at Salt Lake City<\/h2>\n

Meanwhile, Japan\u2019s Sorato Anraku had already locked up the men\u2019s overall championship after winning five of the six bouldering events. Then he failed to advance from qualification in Salt Lake City. Even the guy who dominated the season can get humbled by a fresh set of plastic holds. If bodybuilding judges replaced their comparison rounds with problems that changed every week, we\u2019d see a few interesting faces backstage.<\/p>\n

Bouldering is done on relatively short walls with thick mats instead of ropes. The athlete has to solve a sequence of moves, reach designated holds, and control the top. Strength matters, obviously. So does the ability to position your hips, push through your feet, generate momentum, and decide what to do before your forearms turn into concrete. Some moves are slow and surgical. Others look like a gymnast being thrown into a hardware store. The best climbers aren\u2019t simply pulling themselves upward. They\u2019re figuring out how to make the least-wasteful movement possible under pressure.<\/p>\n

The Wall Rewards Skill and Technique More than It Does Muscle<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s a lesson in there for anybody who trains. A giant back and a crushing handshake don\u2019t automatically make you good at something that requires timing, balance, and technical skill. Nor does being smaller make you weak. Climbing exposes the difference between owning strength and knowing how to use it. And if you\u2019re tempted to try it, start with an introductory session, not an advanced overhang and a heroic declaration. A 2026 review of 45 climbing-injury studies<\/a> found frequent problems involving fingers, hands, shoulders, and ankles. Those little finger pulleys weren\u2019t designed to absorb your entire ego on day one.<\/p>\n

I like sports that punish bullshit. Climbing is high on that list. There\u2019s no score for looking intimidating while you chalk your hands, and no bonus for explaining how strong you\u2019d be if the holds were bigger. Katz won because he solved a problem that had stopped the others. McNeice took the season because she kept delivering. The wall doesn\u2019t care about your r\u00e9sum\u00e9, your physique, or your excuses. It only cares whether you can get to the top.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Climbing is what happens when you take a gym rat\u2019s obsession with grip strength, remove the floor, and let gravity do its thing. There\u2019s no bench to lie on, no belt to tighten, and no place to hide a weak link. 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