PRAGUE, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Sorato Anraku became the first male climber to win four consecutive boulder titles in a single World Climbing Series season on Friday, edging South Korea's Lee Do-hyun and France's Mejdi Schalck in a tight final.

The 19-year-old Japanese secured victory with 55.0 points in a low-scoring technical final, extending his unbeaten run after earlier wins in Keqiao, Bern and Madrid. No male had previously claimed four successive golds in the World Climbing Series or its predecessor, the IFSC World Cup, in the same season.

Schalck made the strongest start, flashing the opening boulder while Anraku and Lee managed only the zone. The French climber held a narrow lead after the second problem, but momentum shifted on the third when Anraku and Lee both topped while Schalck was limited to the zone.

The contest came down to the final boulder. Lee reached the zone in two attempts to finish on 54.8 points. Schalck followed with a zone in two for 54.7. Needing only a clean zone, Anraku delivered on his first try to finish on 55.0 and seal gold.

"I can't really say anything. I don't really understand how to feel, but it's good to relieve some pressure," Anraku said after the competition. "The final round was a bit of coordination on the slab, and this is not my style."

The result strengthens Anraku's grip on the season and keeps him on course for a clean sweep of the men's boulder circuit, a feat previously achieved only by Slovenia's Janja Garnbret on the women's side.

Two climbers reached their first World Climbing Series final, with France's Max Bertone placing sixth and Germany's Lucas Trandafir seventh.

China's Pan Yufei, the IFSC World Cup boulder titlist in Bern in 2025, narrowly missed out on the final after finishing 10th in the semifinal round.

The Prague stop continues through the weekend with the women's boulder competition and the season's second lead event. ■