Helsinki to Host 2025 IFSC Youth World Championship

The International Federation of Sport Climbing Youth World Championships is headed back to Europe for the 2025 edition as Helsinki will welcome hundreds of young climbers from July 28 through August 3 with competition split up at two venues.

The KiipeilyAreena Ristikko — one of the largest climbing gyms in Northern Europe — will host Lead and Speed competitions, while Boulder will take place at Helsingin Kiipeilykeskus, located about seven miles away. KiipeilyAreena Ristikko previously hosted the 2023 IFSC Youth European Championships in Lead.

The 2022 IFSC Youth World Championships were held in Dallas, before Seoul hosted in 2023. The 2024 edition takes place in Guiyang, China, from August 22–30.

“The Youth World Championships is an event that gives us a glimpse at the future of our sport,” said IFSC President Marco Scolaris. “IFSC Europe had one of their Youth Championships in Helsinki last year, thanks to our friends in the Finnish National Federation and the feedback I received was so positive. I have no doubt that our Youth World Championships in 2025 will also be a great success in their hands.”

The event will be the first featuring competitors divided into under 17 and 19 age categories, having been under 16, 18, and 20 in the past.

“Hosting the IFSC Youth World Championships is a big step, a game-changer for Finnish Climbing and it shows very well how the sport has evolved here in recent years,” said Juho Risku, president of Finnish National Federation. “An event like this will provide extremely valuable visibility for the sport in Finland.”