One of Japan’s youngest and most exciting rock climbing athletes, Ai Mori is a competitive sport climber that has seen significant success at a young age. She made history in 2019 as the youngest Japanese climber to ever earn a medal at the IFSC World Championships.

Born in 2003, Ai Mori started climbing in 2010 and quickly found her passion for the sport. She competed in her first Asian Youth Championship in 2017, seeing significant success across the bouldering, lead, and speed climbing disciplines. She continued her success at the IFSC Youth World Championships and subsequently dominated these tournaments for two years. In 2018, she won the Japanese Lead Climbing Championship and took silver in the Bouldering Japan Cup, establishing her as one of Japan’s best climbers at just 14 years old.

Mori made her IFSC senior level debut in 2019, winning a bronze in the World Cup events in Wujiang, China and Villars, Switzerland. In August, she placed third in the World Championships in Hachioji, Japan, becoming the youngest Japanese climber to ever finish on the podium at just 15 years old. She then finished fifth in the IFSC Combined Qualifier in Toulouse, France, setting her up for possible inclusion in future Olympic Games. Already seeing significant success in her early teenage years, Ai Mori will undoubtedly be a force in sport climbing for many years to come.