Erin McNeice has become the first British woman to win the European Lead climbing title, securing gold at the European Championships in Laval, France.
The 21-year-old Englishwoman topped the women’s final route with just one second to spare, sealing a historic victory for Team GB.
The win adds to a remarkable run of success for McNeice, who represented Great Britain at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she finished fifth in the combined Boulder and Lead event. In 2025, she became the first British female climber to win the overall IFSC World Cup Lead title, a feat she achieved with a fourth-place finish in Koper, Slovenia. That same season, she also claimed Boulder gold in Bern, Switzerland, making her the only British woman to have won World Cup gold in more than one discipline.
McNeice’s achievements were recognised with the Athlete Award at the 2025 PLx Awards, which honours standout performers in the UK’s Olympic and Paralympic system. She has since been named among the headline selections for the British Mountaineering Council’s GB Climbing Performance Programme for 2026, alongside reigning Olympic champion Toby Roberts.
Her rise, from Olympic debutant in 2024 to European and world champion within two years, marks her as one of the fastest-rising stars in British sport.
Main Image: For illustration purposes.
