Mei Kotake

Mei Kotake
Personal information
Born (1997-05-18) 18 May 1997
OccupationProfessional competition climber
Height154 cm (5 ft 1 in)
Climbing career
Highest grade
Medal record
Women's competition climbing
World Cup
Gold medal – first placeBriancon 2024Lead
Bronze medal – third placeChamonix 2024Lead
Asian Championships
Silver medal – second place2024 Tai'anLead
Bronze medal – third place2017 TehranLead
Bronze medal – third place2018 KurajošiLead
Asian Cup
Gold medal – first place2018 Hong KongBouldering
Updated on July 5, 2019

Mei Kotake (小武 芽生, Kotake Mei; born May 18, 1997 Sapporo) is a Japanese professional rock climber who specializes in competition climbing. She participates in competition lead climbing, competition bouldering and competition speed climbing disciplines.[1][2][3][4][5]

Early life and education

Kotake was born on May 18, 1997, in Sapporo, Hokkaido. She started bouldering in the fifth grade of elementary school.

Kotake acquired a degree at a women's college for nutrition and food science.[6]

Climbing career

Competition climbing

In 2014 she won the All Japan Climbing Youth Championship in the category Lead.[7]

Rock climbing

In 2022, Kotake sent Era Vella, an 8c+/9a -graded sport climbing route in Margalef, in Spain.[8]

Rankings

[1][2]

Mei Kotake in the Climbing World Championships 2018 Lead Final
2018 2019 2025
Lead 4 11 10
Bouldering 25 39 -
Speed 59 57 -
2014 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2024 2025
Lead - 37 27 5 15 52 22 5 17
Bouldering 46 22 11 21 - - - - -
Combined - 8 22 - - - - - -
2016 2017 2018 2024
Lead 5 3 3 2
Bouldering 6 7 8 -
Speed - 23 33 -
2018
Bouldering 1

Notable ascents

8B+ (V14):

  • New Base Line - Magic Wood (SUI) - 2024[9]

Redpointed routes

9a (5.14d):

8c (5.14b):

References

  1. 1 2 "Mei Kotake". IFSC. Archived from the original on Jul 5, 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Mei Kotake". digitalrock.de. Retrieved July 5, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ↑ "小武 芽生 Mei Kotake". JMA Climbing. Archived from the original on Jul 5, 2019.
  4. ↑ "SHARE CLINIC INTERVIEW [ Mei Kotake ]". bgshare.jp. Archived from the original on Feb 21, 2019.
  5. ↑ "小武芽生". Twitter. Retrieved July 5, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  6. ↑ "[Tokyo 2020] Women players aiming to represent Japan in the new event "Sport climbing"". Yahoo! Japan - Women's Health. Retrieved August 10, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ↑ "Climbing Youth JAPAN Cup 2013 - results". JMSCA. Archived from the original on Aug 10, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Era Vella 8c+/9a by Mei Kotake". 8a.nu. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  9. ↑ "World Cup Champ Sends Her First V14". Gripped Climbing Magazine. July 30, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Mei Kotake climbs Era Vella, 9a in Margalef".
  11. 1 2 "Era Vella 8c+/9a by Mei Kotake". 8a.nu. March 31, 2022.