After traveling from the USA to South Korea and China in the span of three years, the Youth World Championships of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is headed back to Europe for its 2025 edition. The capital city of Finland, Helsinki, is set to welcome hundreds of young climbers from 28 July to 3 August. Following the successful organisation of the IFSC Youth European Championships in Lead in 2023, the KiipeilyAreena Ristikko – one of the largest Climbing gyms in Northern Europe – will host Lead and Speed competitions. Boulder competitions will take place in a different gym, Helsingin Kiipeilykeskus, located about 12 kilometers from the other venue.
IFSC President Marco Scolaris expressed his excitement for the event, stating that the Youth World Championships give a glimpse into the future of the sport. He praised the positive feedback received from the Youth European Championships held in Helsinki in the previous year. Scolaris is confident that the 2025 Youth World Championships will be a great success under the management of the Finnish National Federation.
Finnish National Federation President Juho Risku also shared his enthusiasm for hosting the event, calling it a game-changer for Finnish Climbing. He highlighted how the sport has evolved in Finland in recent years and emphasized the valuable visibility the event will bring to Climbing in the country.
The 2025 Youth World Championships will feature competitors divided into two age categories: under 17 and 19, as opposed to the previous three categories of under 16, 18, and 20. The full calendar of the IFSC Season 2025 will be released later in the year.
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