From Climbing Legends to Janja Garnbret: Koper Marks 30 Years of World-Class Competition in Slovenia
From the pioneers of the 1990s to Janja Garnbret today, Slovenia’s climbing story comes full circle in Koper.
Thirty years after Slovenia first joined the international sport climbing circuit, some of the country’s greatest climbing names will come together on the Adriatic coast for a milestone edition of the World Climbing Series. On 4 and 5 September, Koper will host the world’s leading athletes in Lead climbing, headed by Slovenia’s two-time Olympic champion Janja Garnbret – while also celebrating three decades of a competition tradition that has grown alongside Slovenia into one of the sport’s most successful nations.
The 2026 World Climbing Series Koper will be the 30th senior world-level climbing competition organised in Slovenia. The first 25 editions were held in Kranj before the event moved to Koper, which will host the competition for the fifth consecutive year. This year’s event is also one of the stops on the international World Climbing Series calendar.
That anniversary gives this year’s competition an added dimension. Former Slovenian finalists from previous home World Cups have been invited back to Koper, bringing together different generations of a climbing nation whose success long predates the sport’s Olympic era. Over the previous 29 editions, 92 Slovenian climbers – exactly 46 women and 46 men – have competed on home soil. Slovenian athletes have recorded 14 victories and 35 podium finishes, while 18 different climbers have experienced what remains one of the highlights of any athlete’s career: competing in a final in front of a home crowd.
Among those who have won Slovenia’s home competition are some of the defining names in the country’s climbing history, including Martina Čufar, Maja Vidmar, Mina Markovič, Klemen Bečan and Luka Potočar. Their achievements helped establish the foundations for the extraordinary generation competing today.
Janja Garnbret Returns to a Favourite Home Stage
The biggest name on the start list is once again Janja Garnbret, Slovenia’s two-time Olympic champion and the most successful competition climber of her generation.
Koper has developed into a particularly special stop for Garnbret, combining world-class competition with the rare opportunity to perform in front of thousands of Slovenian supporters.
Nothing really compares to Koper – because it is at home, because this is where we have the most Slovenian fans and because the whole team always receives such an incredibly warm welcome.
Her appearance comes during another landmark season. Earlier this year, Garnbret claimed her 50th World Cup victory, extending a record that has already placed her among the most dominant athletes in the history of the sport.
She will be joined by a strong Slovenian team that includes Rosa Rekar, the reigning world silver medallist in Lead, Olympian Mia Krampl, Lučka Rakovec, Lana Gorič, Sara Čopar, Lucija Tarkuš, Jennifer Buckley, Luka Potočar, Lovro Črep, Jaka Jaki and Samo Golob.
The international field will take on the outdoor competition wall at Plus Climbing Koper, with qualifications and semi-finals on Friday and the finals under the lights on Saturday evening.
A Climbing Weekend on Slovenia’s Mediterranean Coast
The event also offers international visitors an unusual combination: elite climbing just minutes from the historic centre and waterfront of Koper, Slovenia’s largest coastal town.
The competition has increasingly developed into a broader outdoor and sports festival. This year an outdoor village will bring together sports and outdoor brands around the venue, alongside music, activities for children and opportunities to try climbing.
On Saturday, the sporting programme will coincide with Altroke Sladka Istra, Koper’s culinary event dedicated to sweet flavours, giving visitors the chance to combine a morning in the historic centre with an evening watching some of the world’s best climbers.
It is a setting that distinguishes Koper from many other stops on the international circuit: an outdoor competition venue on Slovenia’s short Mediterranean coast, with the old town, sea and surrounding Istrian landscape all within easy reach.
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