We have the official schedule for the first round of the World Barista Championship, starting today! Scroll down to see when your favorite competitors take the stage!
BY ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Today kicks off the first round of the World Barista Championship (WBC) in Seoul, South Korea. Competitors from nearly 60 countries will battle today and November 10 for 16 spots in the semifinal round on November 11, and a winner will be crowned after the final round on November 12.
This WBC will be the debut of a number of rule and format changes that were introduced by World Coffee Events earlier this year. The top 15 competitors in the first round will move on to the next round of competition, with a 16th spot going to the highest-scoring barista on the winning Team Bar competition, which will take place during the first round of performances. Live scoring will also be introduced at this WBC. We’re excited to see new rules implemented that will allow baristas to be more creative with their presentations, including changes to the layout of tables and the elimination of technical scoresheets in the semifinal and final rounds.
Each performance will be broadcast via livestream, so check the World Coffee Events website for the link to watch your favorite competitors! And continue to check our website and Instagram for updates!
COMPETITOR SCHEDULE DAY ONE
NOVEMBER 9:
All times are GMT +9 Seoul local time
9:15 a.m.: Thailand
9:23 a.m.: New Zealand
9:31 a.m.: Singapore
10:01 a.m.: Honduras
10:09 a.m.: Greece
10:17 a.m.: Japan
10:47 a.m.: Colombia
10:55 a.m.: Australia
11:03 a.m.: Latvia
11:33 a.m.: Austria
11:41 a.m.: Spain
11:49 a.m.: Lithuania
12:19 p.m.: Poland
12:27 p.m.: Brazil
12:35 p.m.: United Arab Emirates
1:05 p.m.: Finland
1:13 p.m.: India
1:21 p.m.: Philippines
1:51 p.m.: South Africa
1:59 p.m.: Nicaragua
2:07 p.m.: Mexico
2:37 p.m.: United States of America
2:45 p.m.: Costa Rica
2:53 p.m.: Taiwan
3:23 p.m.: Germany
3:31 p.m.: Belarus
3:39 p.m.: Czech Republic
4:09 p.m.: Turkey
4:17 p.m.: United Kingdom
4:25 p.m.: Indonesia
COMPETITOR SCHEDULE DAY TWO
NOVEMBER 10:
9:15 a.m.: Kenya
9:23 a.m.: Guatemala
9:31 a.m.: Malaysia
10:01 a.m.: Hong Kong
10:09 a.m.: El Salvador
10:17 a.m.: Romania
10:47 a.m.: Ireland
10:55 a.m.: Sweden
11:03 a.m.: Hungary
11:33 a.m.: France
11:41 a.m.: China
11:49 a.m.: Puerto Rico
12:19 p.m.: Ecuador
12:27 p.m.: Denmark
12:35 p.m.: Slovakia
1:05 p.m.: Canada
1:13 p.m.: Vietnam
1:21 p.m.: Russia
1:51 p.m.: Norway
1:59 p.m.: South Korea
2:07 p.m.: Italy
2:37 p.m.: Switzerland
2:45 p.m.: Uganda
2:53 p.m.: Portugal
3:23 p.m.: Iran
3:31 p.m.: Ukraine
4:01 p.m.: Netherlands
4:09 p.m.: Panama
TEAM BAR SCHEDULE DAY ONE:
10:20-11:00 a.m.: Team Tamper
Canada, China, Italy, Kenya, Romania
11:40 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Team Pressure
Guatemala, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Ukraine, Vietnam
1:00-1:40 p.m.: Team Steam
Ecuador, Malaysia, Russia, Sweden, The Netherlands, Uganda
2:20-3:00 p.m.: Team Blend
Denmark, Hong Kong, Hungary, Norway, Portugal, Panama
3:40-4:20 p.m.: Team Extract
El Salvador, France, Iran, Slovakia, South Korea
TEAM BAR SCHEDULE DAY TWO:
10:20-11:00 a.m.: Team Portafilter
Belarus, Finland, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Thailand
11:40 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Team Knockbox
Colombia, Czech Republic, India, Lithuania, New Zealand, United States of America
1:00-1:40 p.m.: Team Scale
Australia, Costa Rica, Poland, Singapore, Phillipines, Turkey
2:20-3:00 p.m.: Team Espresso
Brazil, Honduras, Latvia, South Africa, Taiwan, United Kingdom
3:40-4:20 p.m.: Team Brew
Austria, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Nicaragua, United Arab Emirates
We’ll continue to report live from Seoul, so keep checking the website for scores, updates, and news coverage of the 2017 World Barista Championship!
