Erin McNeice

{{Short description|British rock climber (born 2004)}}

{{Infobox climber

| name = Erin McNeice

| honorific_suffix = OLY

|image =

|caption =

| nickname = Erin McBeast{{cite web|url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/olympics/2024/athletes/erin-mcneice-80013|title=Olympics 2024: Erin McNeice|publisher=UKClimbing|accessdate=9 May 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yap1WyT_Nkk|title=McBeast|publisher=YouTube}}

| nationality = British

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|2004|04|06}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ec2022results.com/webrelease/en/results/sport-climbing/athlete-profile-n12424735-mcneice-erin.htm|title=Sport Climbing: McNeice, Erin|publisher=European Championships Munich 2022|accessdate=26 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.teamgb.com/athlete/erin-mcneice/2XZTdWIbZr8KldHOME0ALB|title=Erin MCNEICE|publisher=Team GB|accessdate=3 July 2024}}

| birth_place = Rodmersham, Kent, England

|occupation = Professional rock climber

| height = 160cm

| typeofclimber = {{flatlist|

}}

|medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport|Women's competition climbing}}

{{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}}

{{MedalCompetition | World Cup }}{{Medal|Gold | Bern 2025 | Bouldering}}{{Medal|Gold | Bali 2025 | Lead }}

{{Medal|Gold | Wujiang 2025 | Lead }}

{{Medal|Bronze | Keqiao 2025 | Bouldering }}

{{Medal|Bronze | Seoul 2024 | Bouldering }}

}}

Erin McNeice {{post-nominals|list=OLY}} (born 6 April 2004) is an English rock climber who specialises in competition climbing. She represented Great Britain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, finishing fifth in the combined Boulder and Lead competition.

Biography

=Early life and career=

McNeice started climbing at the age of five

{{cite web|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/sittingbourne/news/olympian-in-the-making-could-be-at-2024-games-264764/|title=Sittingbourne student chosen by Team GB could be at 2024 Olympics|publisher=Kent Online|accessdate=26 June 2024}}

{{cite web|url=https://latticetraining.com/athletes-ambassadors/erin-mcneice/|title=Erin McNeice Athlete|publisher=Lattice Training|accessdate=26 June 2024}} when her father took her and her older brother to a climbing gym.

Aged 12, after four years living in Malaysia where she trained on larger climbing walls, McNeice entered her first national competition before eventually making it onto the Great Britain Climbing junior squad and going on to represent her country at the 2021 IFSC Climbing World Youth Championships, where she placed 5th in Bouldering and 10th in Lead.

=2022–2023: First national senior titles=

In 2022, and still only 17-years-old, she became the youngest member of the Great Britain Climbing senior team.

McNeice won the British Lead senior title in 2022{{cite web|url=https://www.climber.co.uk/news/mcneice-and-pope-win-senior-titles-at-blcc/|title=McNeice and Pope win senior titles at BLCC|publisher=Climber|accessdate=26 June 2024}} and 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2023/09/british_lead_climbing_championships_2023_-_report-73457|title=British Lead Climbing Championships 2023 - Report|publisher=UK Climbing|accessdate=26 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://gbclimbing.uk/news/british-climbing-championships-2023-lead-speed-para|title=RESULTS: BRITISH LEAD, SPEED & PARACLIMBING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023|publisher=GB Climbing|accessdate=26 June 2024}}

=2024: Fifth at Paris Olympics=

She took a bronze medal at the first Olympic Qualifier Series event in Shanghai, China, in May 2024.{{cite web|url=https://gbclimbing.uk/news/oqs-erin-mcneice-takes-the-bronze-in-shanghai|title=OQS: ERIN MCNEICE TAKES A BRILLIANT BRONZE IN SHANGHAI|publisher=GB Climbing|accessdate=26 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/news/erin-mcneice-great-britain|title=Erin McNeice - Great Britain|publisher=olympics.com|accessdate=26 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.lacrux.com/en/competition/raboutou-before-seo-and-mcneice-results-olympic-qualifier-series-shanghai/|title=Raboutou in front of Seo and McNeice - Results Olympic Qualifier Series Shanghai|publisher=lacrux.com|accessdate=28 June 2024}}

The following month, McNeice matched that performance at the second event of the series in Budapest, Hungary, to book her spot at the 2024 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/mcneice-mcarthur-and-thompsonsmith-qualify-for-paris-2024-in-budapest|title=McNeice, McArthur, and Thompson-Smith Qualify for Paris 2024 in Budapest|publisher=British Mountaineering Council|accessdate=26 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2024/06/olympic_qualifier_series_budapest_-_report-73718|title=Olympic Qualifier Series Budapest - Report|publisher=UK Climbing|accessdate=26 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sport-climbing/articles/c6pp73x6g20o|title=Sport climbing at the Paris 2024 Olympics|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=26 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.climber.co.uk/news/mcneice-thompson-smith-and-mcarthur-qualify-for-paris-games/|title=McNeice, Thompson-Smith and McArthur qualify for Paris Games|publisher=Climber|accessdate=26 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/sittingbourne/news/young-athlete-secures-place-in-olympics-308915/|title=Paris Olympics: Erin McNeice from Sittingbourne qualifies for Team GB in bouldering|publisher=Kent Online|accessdate=28 June 2024}}

Her Olympic place was officially confirmed when Team GB named their climbing squad on 3 July 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sport-climbing/articles/c880v40njxjo|title=GB name four-strong climbing squad for Paris 2024|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=26 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.teamgb.com/article/four-sport-climbers-set-for-team-gb-debuts-at-paris-2024/7Aqo5L7ul6AYP2KtjhlEtU|title=Four sport climbers set for Team GB debuts at Paris 2024|publisher=Team GB|accessdate=26 June 2024}} At the Games in Paris, McNeice was 10th after the bouldering section of the semi-finals{{cite web|url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2024/08/paris_2024_sport_climbing_womens_boulder_semi-final_-_report-73749|title=Paris 2024 Sport Climbing: Women's Boulder Semi-Final - Report|publisher=UK Climbing|accessdate=6 August 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/kent-climber-inspired-after-first-9464742|title=Kent climber inspired after first Olympic outing in Paris|publisher=Kent Live|accessdate=7 August 2024}} and then came seventh in the Lead round to qualify for the final in a combined seventh position.{{cite web|url=https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/erin-mcneice-determined-to-soak-up-olympic-experience-after-qualifying-for-final-115924162.html|title=Erin McNeice determined to soak up Olympic experience after qualifying for final|publisher=Yahoo Sport|accessdate=8 August 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2024/08/paris_2024_sport_climbing_-_womens_lead_semi-final_-_garnbret_leads_the_way-73754|title=Paris 2024 Sport Climbing - Women's Lead Semi-Final - Garnbret Leads the Way|publisher=UK Climbing|accessdate=8 August 2024}} She finished fifth in the final.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/articles/c70383l500go|title=Briton McNeice finishes fifth in climbing final|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=10 August 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-sport-climbing-all-results-janja-garnbret-becomes-double-olympic-champion-with-boulder-lead-gold|title=Paris 2024 sport climbing: All results, as Janja Garnbret becomes double Olympic champion with Boulder & Lead gold|publisher=olympics.com|accessdate=10 August 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2024/08/janja_garnbret_successfully_defends_olympic_gold-73759|title=Janja Garnbret successfully defends Olympic Gold|publisher=UK Climbing|accessdate=10 August 2024}}

On 3 October 2024, McNeice won her first IFSC Climbing World Cup medal, claiming bronze in the bouldering competition at the final event of the 2024 season in Seoul, South Korea.{{cite web|url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2024/10/silver_and_bronze_medals_for_milne_and_mcneice_in_ifsc_boulder_world_cup_seoul_2024-73813|title=Silver and Bronze Medals for Milne and McNeice in IFSC Boulder World Cup Seoul 2024|publisher=UK Climbing|accessdate=3 October 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ifsc-climbing.org/news/sanders-claims-first-win-and-golden-lee-pleases-seoul-crowd|title=SANDERS CLAIMS FIRST WIN AND GOLDEN LEE PLEASES SEOUL CROWD|publisher=International Federation of Sport Climbing|accessdate=3 October 2024}} In doing so she became only the third British woman to win a medal at a Bouldering World Cup competition after Shauna Coxsey and Claire Bell. The result also meant McNeice finished ninth in the overall 2024 Bouldering World Cup standings.

=2025: First World Cup wins=

On 26 January 2025, she won the British Bouldering Championships.{{Cite web |date=2025-01-27 |title=NEWSFLASH: British Bouldering Championships 2025 - Results |url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2025/01/british_bouldering_championships_2025_-_results-73888 |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=www.ukclimbing.com |language=en}}{{cite web|url=https://thebmc.co.uk/en/mcneice-macdougall-rinaldi-and-fullwood-crowned-2025-british-boulder-champions|title=McNeice, MacDougall, Rinaldi, and Fullwood Crowned 2025 British Boulder Champions|publisher=British Mountaineering Council|accessdate=5 February 2025}} On 9 February 2025, she also won the British Lead Climbing Championships and became double champion.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-11 |title=NEWSFLASH: British Lead Climbing Championships 2025 - Results |url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2025/02/british_lead_climbing_championships_2025_-_results-73900 |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=www.ukclimbing.com |language=en}}

In April 2025, McNeice claimed her second world cup medal, taking bronze in the opening bouldering event of the 2025 season in Keqiao, Shaoxing, China.{{cite web|url=https://www.ifsc-climbing.org/events/ifsc-world-cup-keqiao-2025/news/sanders-starts-new-season-just-as-she-finished-the-last-on-top|title=SANDERS STARTS NEW SEASON JUST AS SHE FINISHED THE LAST – ON TOP|publisher=International Federation of Sport Climbing|accessdate=19 April 2025}} Later that month she won her first IFSC gold medal at the 2025 lead World Cup in Wujiang, China, tied with South Korean climber Seo Chae-hyun, an event unheard of in competitive climbing.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympics.com/en/news/ifsc-lead-world-cup-wujiang-2025-anraku-mcneice-seo-share-spoils-results|title=IFSC Lead World Cup Wujiang 2025: Anraku Sorato wins men's final after Erin McNeice and Seo Chaehyun share women's spoils|publisher=olympics.com|accessdate=19 June 2025}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.ifsc-climbing.org/events/ifsc-world-cup-wujiang-2025/results/index|title=IFSC World Cup Wujiang 2025|publisher=IFSC|accessdate=19 June 2025}}

In May, McNeice won her second lead gold medal at the 2025 IFSC World Cup in Bali.{{cite web|url=https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/erin-mcneice-wins-her-second-lead-world-cup-in-a-row/|title=Erin McNeice Wins Her Second Lead World Cup in a Row|publisher=Gripped Magazine|accessdate=19 June 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ifsc-climbing.org/events/ifsc-world-cup-bali-2025/results/index?discipline=lead&category=women|title=IFSC World Cup Bali 2025|publisher=IFSC|accessdate=19 June 2025}}

The following month, she won her first boulder World Cup gold at the 2025 IFSC World Cup in Bern, Switzerland, making her the first British woman to win a World Cup in two sport climbing disciplines.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympics.com/en/news/sport-climbing-world-cup-bern-2025-erin-mcneice-wins-first-boulder-gold|title=Sport Climbing World Cup Bern 2025: Erin McNeice wins first boulder gold |publisher=olympics.com|accessdate=19 June 2025}}{{Cite web |last=Vettoretti |first=Marco |date=2025-06-14 |title=Official website of the International Federation of Sport Climbing. |url=https://www.ifsc-climbing.org/events/ifsc-world-cup-bern-2025/news/mcneice-wins-first-boulder-gold-in-bern |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=www.ifsc-climbing.org |language=en}}

References