LEE CARRIES HOME HOPES
On the men’s side of the competition, home support will undoubtedly be strong for Lee Dohyun, especially after two Boulder podium visits in 2025 and a bronze from the World Championships Bern 2023.
Lee didn’t quite manage a gold in the 2025 Series taking a silver and bronze, but China’s Pan Yufei was an Asian climber to make the top step, and for the first time in his career – a feat that helps build the confidence in a World Championships season.
FRANCE, JAPAN BRING THE FIREPOWER
Staying in Asia, it’s hard to not mention Japan yet again with a host of strong Boulder climbers and World Cup medallists set to be in action. The headliner may be Anraku Sorato who once again won the Series title after multiple golds, but the Japanese also boast names like the Narasaki brothers Tomoa and Meichi, and Amagasa Sohta.
Just like the women, if you are mentioning teams you have to mention France. Mawem may not be in Seoul, but the silver medallist from 2023 will be – Mejdi Schalck.
Schalck had three podium visits in 2025 with one gold and two silver, and on one of those visits he was joined by Samuel Richard who despite still competing at youth level took a bronze in Prague on the senior stage.
It’s not just Schalck and Richard either, the French also have their two Olympians Sam Avezou and Paul Jenft to count on to push the team forward.
OLYMPIC CHAMPION ROBERTS LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK
When you talk about the Olympics, you have to mention Toby Roberts. A slow start to his 2025 season hit a low point in Bern when he finished in 51st place – but Roberts isn’t the Olympic champion for nothing. He returned next competition to win gold in Innsbruck and will be looking for more of the same in Seoul after finishing a disappointing 19th at the 2023 World Championships.
Roberts is also backed up by a strong British team with Max Milne and Dayan Akhtar both making a World Cup final and Hamish McArthur a Paris 2024 Olympian.
It’s not all about teams though, Belgium’s Hannes Van Duysen has been on the World Cup podium once again in 2025 and Slovenia’s Anze Peharc has been a regular finalist. Add in climbers like Austria’s Nicolai Uznik and Jan-Luca Posch and the men’s competition will be a lot of fun to watch.
THAILAND’S FUTURE IS PROMISING
The World Championships is an opportunity to really test yourself on the world stage in a big field of competitors, and it’s not always about taking a medal home, sometimes it’s about the experience you gain, and that is the case for Thailand’s Auswin Aueareechit.
Talking about his goal for the event Aueareechit said: “Making semi-finals in either Lead or Boulder. Hopefully both. That’s my goal.”
Aueareechit will be doing both disciplines in Seoul, so which one is his favourite?
“I like Boulder because it’s more fun, and there’s less pressure. I thought I was better at Lead, but recently my Boulder results are better, so now I don’t know.”
Those better results include a gold medal in the Youth Asian Championships and a bronze in the Youth World Championships, and still only 17, Aueareechit can give his opinion of the difference between the youth and senior competitions in 2025: “I think the style of routesetting is similar, but it’s much harder in the World Cups. Worse holds and more focus on strength and power, especially for the men. And the athletes are much stronger.”
With much stronger climbers and harder holds and routes expected, how has the preparation been for Aueareechit? “Good. I have been doing a lot of youth and regional comps, but I think I’m ready.”
The young climber will need to be ready, and he will have teammates Ardch Intrachupongse and Teeraphon Boondech alongside him in South Korea to take on the world’s best.