Introduction

No.1 seed in Tokyo and thirty-one time top-three finisher, it feels like Tomoa has been around forever - and he’s only twenty-seven! Tomoa’s background in gymnastics meant that he had a head start on the dynamic and co-ordinated style of comp climbing as it evolved, and he was also well schooled in the technical side of climbing, having been taken under the wing of legendary Japanese climber Sachi Amma - who has 30 top-three finishes himself - as a 10 year old.

Even though 2023 saw Tomoa win Gold in the Boulder in Salt Lake City, as well as a Silver in Seoul, his recent form might not be quite what he expects of himself - but only because those expectations will be extraordinarily high. Between the beginning of 2019 and the end of 2022, Tomoa was on the Boulder podium a mind-boggling eleven times in a row. You’d have to go back almost a decade, to the 2015 season, to find a season in which he didn’t make a Boulder podium.

At his best, Tomoa can make bouldering look absolutely effortless, flowing through hard moves with a precision and power that defies belief. If he can find that form again, then he’ll be right up there when it comes to the Bouldering. However, that same power can be his worst enemy when it comes to Lead, as it often means he opts for the most powerful, and least efficient, beta. For Tomoa, it’ll likely be how he handles the Lead that will decide his final position.

That was the case at his home Olympics in 2021. Tomoa came third in the Bouldering, and second in the Speed, but was let down by a sub-par Lead performance, which left him just outside the medals in fourth place. Having come first in the Boulder section of the Bern champs, and upped his Lead game to qualify for Paris at the first time of asking, could this year be his year?

Qualification route

IFSC World Championships Bern 2023: 3rd Place (Boulder & Lead)

Tomoa came top of the field in a close boulder round, before putting in a solid performance in the lead to claim the Bronze medal and a ticket to Paris.

Trivia

Tomoa is married to 31-time IFSC Gold medal winner, Tokyo Bronze medal winner, and all around climbing legend Akiyo Noguchi.

UKC prediction

5th place

Whilst Tomoa came third in Bern, and his bouldering skill is undeniable, we’re expecting some of the athletes who came short in Bern to up their game in Paris and be just as good as Tomoa. With that in mind, his shortcomings in Lead climbing mean that we see him sitting outside the podium, somewhere around the fifth mark.