Prague 2025: Ondra’s farewell, French triumph, and the hardest boulder ever set?

The Prague World Cup will be remembered for many reasons, but perhaps none more poignant than Adam Ondra’s final bow from World Cup bouldering. The Czech legend’s farewell, however, came with a twist that perfectly encapsulated the evolution of competition climbing: he was stopped by what may have been the hardest boulder problem ever set in IFSC competition.

The boulder that stopped a legend

Semi-final boulder M4 in Prague achieved something remarkable—it stumped an entire field of 27 of the world’s best climbers, including Adam Ondra on his home turf. Not a single competitor topped it. Only 12 managed to secure the zone, which our analysis estimates at 7B+/7C (V8-9)—already a formidable grade for a halfway point.

The full problem? Our estimates suggest 8B/+ (V13/14)!

For context, this means the Prague semi-final featured a problem harder than many climbers will ever complete outdoors, set in a competition where athletes get just 5 minutes to figure it out. It’s a stark reminder of how far competition climbing has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible.

That this boulder played a role in preventing Ondra from reaching one last final adds a layer of sporting drama to an already emotional weekend. The 32-year-old’s influence on climbing is immeasurable, but even legends meet their match.

The Big Three emerge from the chaos

While Prague delivered its share of surprises—including Sorato Anraku’s first “failure” to win gold—it also crystallized the season’s dominant narrative. After four World Cups, the numbers are staggering. Between them, Anraku, Dohyun Lee, and Mejdi Schalck have claimed:

4 gold medals (3 for Anraku, 1 for Schalck)
3 silver medals (1 each)
1 bronze medal (Lee)

That’s 8 of 12 available men’s medals. More tellingly, no other competitor has won more than one medal this season—the Big Three have created a clear tier above the rest.

Sorato Anraku: Historic pace continues

Despite his “disappointment” in Prague, Anraku maintains a provisional season ELO of 3039—still tracking as the highest men’s season rating ever recorded. His philosophical response—”Two years ago here I was seventh, last year I was fourth, and now second, so next year, first”—shows a competitor playing the long game.

Dohyun Lee: The consistent force

Often overlooked in discussions about the season, Lee continues to quietly excel. His provisional ELO of 2867 (down from 2913 after Salt Lake City but still keeping pace) represents what would be the 6th best men’s season in history. While others grab headlines, Lee accumulates podiums with metronomic consistency.

Mejdi Schalck: From outside the top 10 to the top

Prague marked vindication for Schalck after a difficult 2024 where he missed Olympic qualification and finished outside our top 10 rankings. Being the only finalist to top all four problems—including managing the coordination-heavy sequences that suited his dynamic style—showed championship composure. His emotional “I’m back, and it feels good to be back” captured the magnitude of this turnaround.

French excellence in challenging conditions

France claimed 3 of the 6 available medals in Prague, but the story goes deeper than podium positions.

Women’s competition disrupted but revealing

The cancellation of the women’s final due to severe winds was unfortunate, but the semi-final results revealed French depth:

Oriane Bertone claimed victory based on semi-final results (her second Prague gold after 2023), maintaining her position atop the season rankings with a provisional ELO of 2689
Agathe Calliet secured silver, demonstrating France’s emerging talent
Naïlé Meignan didn’t compete in Prague but maintains second place in the season rankings with an ELO of 2680

The season rankings show five French women in the top 20, with younger climbers like Lily Abriat and Lucile Saurel gaining valuable experience. This depth suggests French strength will extend well beyond 2025.

The post-Olympic landscape

The absence of Olympic stars creates compelling storylines:

Janja Garnbret remains the highest-rated climber of all time but has been selective in her appearances
Brooke Raboutou has stepped away from the competition circuit to pursue outdoor projects
Natalia Grossman is recovering from injury

Their absence has created space not just for new winners, but for the establishment of new hierarchies and the emergence of future stars.

What Prague tells us about 2025

Evolution in action

The M4 semi-final boulder represents where competition climbing is heading—problems that would be lifetime projects for most climbers, solved (or not) in minutes by the world’s best. It’s a evolution that even legends like Ondra must confront.

Historic seasons remain possible

With two competitions remaining, several climbers are on pace for historic provisional ratings:

Anraku’s 3039 ELO could still finish above 3000
Multiple climbers could end up in all-time top 10 seasons

Depth beyond measure

Samuel Richard’s bronze in his first World Cup final exemplifies the depth. A year ago, he wasn’t on anyone’s radar. Now he’s on a World Cup podium.

Looking ahead: Bern and beyond

As the circuit moves to Bern this weekend, key storylines include:

Can Anraku reclaim gold? His Prague pattern suggests he’s building toward something.
Will the Big Three’s dominance continue? They’ve claimed 67% of men’s medals so far.
Which French women will capitalize? With such depth, predicting podiums becomes increasingly difficult.
The ELO rankings evolution: Our statistically rigorous ELO system measures absolute climbing performance level rather than accumulated points. While Anraku leads our rankings, this is distinct from the official World Cup standings.

Final thoughts

Prague 2025 delivered everything that makes modern competition climbing compelling: technical boundaries being pushed (that M4!), emotional farewells (Ondra’s last dance), weather drama, and world-class performances.

We’re witnessing history in real-time—provisional ratings that may stand among the best ever, the emergence of a new generation, and problems that redefine what’s possible in competition. Adam Ondra may have said goodbye to bouldering, but the sport he helped build continues to reach new heights.

With two competitions remaining, these provisional standings could still shift dramatically. The only certainty? The best is yet to come.

Updated provisional ELO ratings and complete Prague results are now available on our competition climbing page. The circuit continues this weekend in Bern, Switzerland.