Kai Harada

Kai Harada was born in Kanagawa, Japan on March 10, 1999. He began climbing in 2009 in Osaka at the age of ten, after his mother introduced him to a local climbing gym. Initially, climbing was a casual hobby, allowing him to participate in other sports like track and field. However, his natural talent and enjoyment of the sport led him to focus more on climbing. He developed strong relationships with other climbers at his local gym, who helped him learn various techniques and routes. This supportive environment fostered his passion and skill in the sport throughout his early teenage years.

Harada transitioned to competitive climbing in 2015, making an immediate impact in junior tournaments. He finished as a runner-up in the Youth A Bouldering event at the 2015 World Youth Championships in Arco, Italy. The following year, he secured a gold medal in Bouldering and a silver medal in Lead at the Climbing Asian Youth Championships in Tehran, Iran. His career progressed to the senior level, where he achieved significant recognition in 2018 by winning the Bouldering discipline at the IFSC Climbing World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria. This victory was notable as he was an underdog, being the only competitor to achieve four tops in the final.

In 2019, Harada continued to perform consistently, earning a silver medal in Lead at the IFSC Climbing World Cup in Kranj, Slovenia, and another silver in Bouldering at the World Cup in Wujiang, China. He also placed fourth in Combined at the IFSC Climbing World Championships in Hachioji, Japan, securing his qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. His Olympic participation was confirmed in December 2020 following a dispute resolution between the IFSC and the Japan Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Association. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021, he finished 18th in the combined discipline. He has continued to challenge himself with notable ascents, including an 8C (V15) boulder problem, “G-Master,” in Rocklands in July 2024.