A sold-out Magazine London and a relentless, high-energy crowd set the stage for a historic night as the Pro Climbing League made its debut – streamed live worldwide on Red Bull TV.
In front of 2,400 roaring fans, Scotland’s Max Milne secured a dream home victory, while France’s Oriane Bertone narrowly beat two-time Olympic champion Janja Garnbret from Slovenia in an intense 19-second women’s final.
Blink-and-you-miss-it battles
The night began with razor-thin margins. One of the standout early duels saw Mejdi Schalck from France and Britain’s Olympic champion Toby Roberts separated by the blink of an eye on boulder one – a photo-finish moment that underlined the intensity of the head-to-head format.
Designed around side-by-side competition on identical boulder problems, the Pro Climbing League format delivered short, explosive rounds where every decision mattered. First-round matchups featured three boulders, before the semi-finals and finals shifted to single, decisive problems, heightening the pressure and the spectacle in equal measure.
Milne delivers in front of the home crowd
Wildcard entry Milne, aged 25, rose to the occasion, winning all his battles before facing American Colin Duffy in the men’s final. Drawing on the energy of the crowd, the Scot found another gear when it mattered most and executed a move that took everyone by surprise.
“It was amazing, the crowd was unbelievable. At the start of the event Charlie (note: Boscoe; one of the Pro Climbing League founders) wrote everyone a note and said, you’re the wildcard, you can go win this thing, so yeah, I did,” the climber from Aberdeen said in a first reaction.
“Colin is an absolute G, he got to the high point, and I had to pull something off, so thanks for pushing me to perform like that.”
Tomoa Narasaki from Japan, a bouldering powerhouse, secured third place after another evening of explosive performances.
19 seconds of history
The women’s final lasted just 19 seconds but delivered one of the defining moments of the night. Bertone, the 2025 World Championship silver medallist, flashed the final boulder to claim the inaugural title ahead of Garnbret in a lightning-fast showdown.
“I feel so great! Overall, it was so fun. It’s a new format, it’s very interesting, it’s crazy, thank you guys so much,” said Bertone. “I had fun. In the final round with Janja, I wanted to fight a little bit more. Next time, we’ll hopefully have some very, very hard boulders and we can make something very interesting happen.”
Eighteen-year-old Annie Sanders from the US completed the podium in third place.
A new chapter for professional climbing
The London premiere combined a clear, easy-to-follow competition format with enhanced live coverage, immersive camera angles, and real-time graphics to help viewers follow the action as it unfolded. Expert commentary and athlete interviews provided additional context, keeping the focus firmly on the climbers themselves.
With a packed arena and an electric atmosphere, the Pro Climbing League’s first event signalled the arrival of a bold new platform for the sport’s biggest personalities and most intense head-to-head battles, with a global audience watching live.
Results Pro Climbing League
MEN
Max Milne, GBR
Colin Duffy, USA
Tomoa Narasaki, JPN
WOMEN
Oriane Bertone, FRA
Janja Garnbret, SLO
Annie Sanders, USA
