Shauna Coxsey, centre, won the first IFSC Bouldering World Cup leg of the season in Meiringen ©Shauna Coxsey/Twitter

Defending champion Shauna Coxsey of Great Britain won the first International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Bouldering World Cup leg of the season in Meiringen in Switzerland.

Coxsey won the first three competitions last year and made a sensational return from injury to claim the title at the Haslital Climbing Center.

The 24-year-old was forced to miss the World Championships last year but put that disappointment behind her as she won the women's final.

After claiming victory at the World Championships in Paris in September, home favourite Petra Klingler was forced to settle for second place behind Coxsey.

Miho Nonaka of Japan, runner-up in the overall rankings last year, finished in third.

In the men's competition Kokoro Fujii of Japan, who finished in second place last year, took gold.

Kokoro Fujii of Japan, centre, took gold in the men's event ©Eddie Fowke / IFSC
Kokoro Fujii of Japan, centre, took gold in the men's event ©Eddie Fowke / IFSC

Aleksei Rubtsov of Russia finished third in the World Cup standings in 2016 and started this campaign with a second place finish in Meiringen.

Keita Watabe of Japan took third place while defending World Cup champion, Tomoa Narasaki, endured a miserable weekend as the Japanese climber finished down in 21st.

This season will be the first full version to take place since sport climbing was added to the Olympic programme for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Sport climbing was accepted in August along with karate, surfing, skateboarding and baseball/softball.