Ai Mori

Ai Mori
Ai Mori at the Koper 2022 Lead World Cup
Personal information
NationalityJapan
Born (2003-09-17) 17 September 2003
Ibaraki, Japan
OccupationProfessional rock climber
Height154 cm (5 ft 1 in)[1]
Climbing career
Highest grade
Known forFirst Japanese climber to win the gold in a World Championships for lead climbing.[2]
Medal record
Women's competition climbing
Representing  Japan
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
World Cup 5 4 3
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2023 BernLead
Bronze medal – third place2019 HachiōjiLead
Bronze medal – third place2023 BernCombined
World Cup (Overall)
Third place2024Lead
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place2026Bouldering
Gold medal – first place2026Lead
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place2022Combined

Ai Mori (森 秋彩, Mori Ai; born 17 September 2003) is a Japanese professional rock climber who specializes in competition lead climbing and competition bouldering.

At the 2019 IFSC Climbing World Championships, Mori became the youngest Japanese athlete to finish in a podium place in the competition, third in lead. She has won Japan Cup titles in both bouldering and lead disciplines and has multiple IFSC Climbing World Cup podium finishes, including three gold medals in World Cup events in the 2022 season. At the 2023 IFSC Climbing World Championships, Mori won the gold medal in lead, becoming the first Japanese athlete to win a World Championships lead title.

Climbing career

In 2016, Mori won Lead Japan Cup, becoming the youngest winner of the competition at age 12.[3] She has repeated as the national lead champion in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Mori also won the Boulder Japan Cup in 2021 and finished second place in 2018.[4]

Mori made her senior international competition climbing debut in 2019, winning two bronze medals in lead and one in bouldering World Cups.[5][6][7][8] Later that year, at age 15, she placed third in the lead category at the IFSC Climbing World Championships,[9] becoming the youngest Japanese climber to medal at the World Championship. Akiyo Noguchi had held the previous record with her 2005 bronze medal in lead at age 16.[10][11] In November and December 2019, Mori finished fifth in the combined category at the Olympic qualifying event in Toulouse, France. However, Japan had already filled its athlete quota for the 2020 Olympic Games, so Mori did not compete at the Games despite finishing in qualifying places.[12]

In September 2022, Mori took first place at the World Cup event in Koper, Slovenia,[13] finishing ahead of second-place finisher Janja Garnbret, who had won all four lead World Cups of the season coming into Koper.[14] Mori was competing in her first World Cup event of the year, and her first international event of any kind since the 2020 Olympic qualifying event in 2019.[15] She followed this up with first-place finishes in another two World Cups events, at the lead event in Edinburgh, Scotland,[16] and the season-ending combined boulder and lead event in Morioka, Japan.[17]

In 2023, Mori competed in the 2023 IFSC Climbing World Championships and became the world champion in lead, becoming the first Japanese athlete to win a world title in the discipline.[18] She also qualified for the 2024 Olympics by placing third in the combined event at the World Championships.[19]

In 2024, Mori finished in fourth place in the combined event at the Olympics,[20][21] expressing frustration for not being able to top the final route as previously promised to fellow climber Akiyo Noguchi.[22] UK Climbing noted that the dynamic boulders didn't suit her style, but she tapped the top hold of the lead climb, receiving the highest score.[23] On 6 October, she won the silver medal at the last event of the 2024 IFSC Climbing World Cup,[24] bringing her to third place in the year's ranking.[25]

Climbing style

Mori lead climbing in 2019

Mori is known for her strong performances in lead climbing. She excels in endurance based routes where her static climbing style plays a crucial role, but occasionally struggles with dynamic moves.[26][27] During boulder competition Mori has been praised by commentators for her "incredible footwork".[28] She trains four times a week[29] at two indoor gyms in Tsukuba.[30]

Mori has stated in 2022 that she prefers climbing outside of competitions: "I always like pushing myself to my limits, I can only do that in training. In comps if you make a mistake, your ranking changes dramatically. I don't want to feel pressure at every move. I like climbing freely."[31] In a 2023 interview she explained how she learned to enjoy competitions after taking a break from them, and that she plans on competing for a maximum of 10 years.[32]

Personal life

As of 2023, Mori was a student at the University of Tsukuba and living with her parents, planning to live alone in the future.[33] She has a younger brother and is a fan of the Japanese pop band Sekai no Owari.[34]

Rankings

World Cup

[35] 2019 2022 2023 2024 2025
Lead 6 11 4 3 27
Bouldering 20 - 20 26 49
Speed - - - - -
Combined 10 1 - - -

World Championships

Discipline[36]
2019 2023
Lead 3 1
Bouldering 31 6
Speed 60 -
Combined 6 3

World Youth Championships

Discipline[36]
2017
Youth B		 2018
Youth B
Lead 1 -
Bouldering 7 20
Speed 43 44
Combined 2 -

Asian Youth Championships

[36] 2017
Youth B		 2018
Youth B
Lead 1 2
Bouldering 3 4
Speed 5 20

Japan Cup

[37] 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Lead 12 2 1 1 - 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Bouldering - - 11 4 2 7 4 1 4 4 5 7 5
Speed - - - - - 11 - - - - - - -
Combined - - - - - 3 8 - 1 1 - - -

World Cup podiums

[36]

Lead

Season Gold Silver Bronze Total
201911
2022 2 2
2023 1 2 3
2024 1 2 3
2025 1 1
Total44210

Bouldering

Season Gold Silver Bronze Total
201911
Total11

Combined (Boulder & Lead)

Season Gold Silver Bronze Total
202211
Total11

References

  1. ↑ "Ai Mori's profile on 8a.nu". Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  2. ↑ "Lead Records Broken by Mori and Schubert in Bern". ifsc-climbing.org. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "第30回リードジャパンカップ2016 女子は12歳の森秋彩が歴代最年少優勝、男子は是永敬一郎が念願の初優勝！" (in Japanese). 14 June 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  4. ↑ "森 秋彩 Ai Mori". Japan Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Association. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  5. ↑ "Janja Garnbret Wins Fourth Straight Boulder World Cup". Gripped Magazine. 6 May 2019. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019.
  6. ↑ "IFSC Lead World Cup Villars 2019 - Report". UKClimbing. 8 July 2019. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019.
  7. ↑ "IFSC Climbing World Cup Villars 2019 - Lead Finals". YouTube. 6 July 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  8. ↑ "IFSC Climbing World Cup Wujiang 2019 - Bouldering Finals". YouTube. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  9. ↑ "IFSC Climbing World Championships - Hachioji 2019 - LEAD Finals". YouTube. 15 August 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  10. ↑ "１５歳・森秋彩、銅 野口啓代超え日本勢最年少表彰台で東京五輪望み「気持ちは前向き」" (in Japanese). Sports Hochi. 16 August 2019. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019.
  11. ↑ "Teenage climber Ai Mori earns bronze in women's lead competition at world championships". Japan Times. 16 August 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019.
  12. ↑ Boscoe, Charlie (2 December 2019). "IFSC Combined Qualifier Toulouse - Report". UKC. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  13. ↑ Burgman, John (3 September 2022). "World Cup Upset; Garnbret Gracious in Defeat; Raboutou Makes Podium. Results". Climbing. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  14. ↑ Burke, Patrick (3 September 2022). "Mori ends Garnbret's IFSC World Cup lead dominance in Koper". inside the game. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  15. ↑ "TROIS FRANÇAIS EN DEMI-FINALE DE LA COUPE DU MONDE DE KOPER !". Planet Grimpe (in French). 2 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  16. ↑ Creech, Hayes (12 September 2022). "Ai Mori and Jesse Grupper win lead climbing IFSC World Cup 2022 golds in Edinburgh - Results". Olympics. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  17. ↑ "Sport climbing: Teenager Ai Mori grabs World Cup gold for Japan in Iwate". Kyodo News. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  18. ↑ "Ai Mori captures Japan's first lead world championship". The Japan Times. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  19. ↑ "OLYMPIC CHAMPION GARNBRET WINS PARIS 2024 TICKET WITH PILZ AND MORI". 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  20. ↑ "Women's Boulder & Lead, Final Lead Results". Olympics. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  21. ↑ Aspland, Richard (10 August 2024). "Official website of the International Federation of Sport Climbing". www.ifsc-climbing.org. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  22. ↑ "[Long-awaited by fans!] A talk with Ai Mori about the Paris Olympics! (translated)". TAMY Climbing Channel on youtube. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  23. ↑ Berry, Natalie (10 August 2024). "Paris 2024 Sport Climbing: Women's Boulder & Lead Final - "even sweeter" Gold for Garnbret". UK Climbing. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  24. ↑ "IFSC World Cup Seoul 2024". Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  25. ↑ "IFSC Climbing World Cup 2024 Lead". Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  26. ↑ "Olympics 2024: Ai Mori". ukclimbing. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  27. ↑ (Japan Ace Battle) Tomoa, Meichi and Ikedai challenge Ai Mori to an impossible contest. TAMY Climbing Channel. 21 February 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2024 – via YouTube.
  28. ↑ Ai Mori Impressive Tops in Boulder Competition || Morioka. Climbing Mood. Retrieved 21 September 2024 – via YouTube.
  29. ↑ クライミングW杯3連覇 森秋彩19歳独占インタビュー【牛乳石鹸公式】 [Exclusive interview with 19-year-old Mori Ai, who won the climbing World Cup three times in a row [Official Cow Soap]]. cowsoap1909. 7 April 2023. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  30. ↑ "【English Subtitle】Sport Climbing / Ai Mori's Method". METHOD メソッド youtube channel. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  31. ↑ [Interview] Akiyo Noguchi Talks Climbing with Next Generational Ace Ai Mori !. TAMY Climbing Channel. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2024 – via YouTube.
  32. ↑ "Sport climbing Ai Mori Special Interview". Sumitomo Corporation. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  33. ↑ "Sport climbing Ai Mori Special Interview". Sumitomo Corporation. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  34. ↑ "Exclusive interview with 19-year-old Mori Ai, who won the climbing World Cup three times in a row [Official Cow Soap]". cowsoap1909 youtube channel. 6 April 2023. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  35. ↑ "Ai MORI". IFSC Results Service. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  36. 1 2 3 4 IFSC, ed. (20 August 2019). "Mori's profile and rankings". Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  37. ↑ "Mori's JMSCA profile and rankings". 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
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