Saas-Payment has welcomed UIAA-sanctioned mountain climbing competitions for the reason that flip of the century. Athletes have change into accustomed to the excellent organisation of the occasions, extremely technical routes and excellent environment. This weekend proved no exception because the Swiss Alps hosted the second UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup of the 2023-24 season, partnered by Outside Analysis.
Pace: Dramatic Finishes
The scene was set on Friday night with the enthralling pace competitors. Athlete versus a 15m sheet of vertical ice. And the clock. Within the males’s occasion, the expected battle between Group Mongolia and Group Iran got here to fruition. In clocking a time of seven.20, Mohsen Beheshti Rad of Iran set the quickest time. Sadly for the reigning world champion that got here in qualification. Within the ultimate his ascent of 8.11 was solely bettered by Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar. Having seen his teammate Kherlen Nyamdoo declare gold within the opening spherical in Cheongsong, 23-year outdated Chuluunbaatar set a blistering 7.88 within the ultimate to seal gold. It proved to be a strong night for Iran with Mohammadreza Safdarian incomes bronze with a time of 8.77
After two rounds, the World Tour chief boards are (picture above):
(1) Chuluunbaatar MGL 180 factors, (2) Rad IRN 120, (3) Safdarian IRN 116
The ladies’s occasion proved much more dramatic. Having received the opening World Cup of the season after which travelled to the North American Continental Cup in Ouray to take silver, the Czech Republic’s Aneta Louzecka heads the World Tour leaderboard. Her time within the ultimate of 13.78, the quickest to that time, look set to seal one other gold. Solely Liechtenstein’s 18-year outdated sensation Lorena Beck (under), double pace and lead world youth champion, may higher her time. Regardless of a little bit slip in the direction of the highest of the ice wall, Beck’s time of 13.77 was sufficient for a dramatic gold medal. Poland’s Olga Kosek, who was narrowly denied a medal in Cheongsong, claimed bronze with a time of 14.31.
After two rounds, the World Tour chief boards are:
(1) Louzecka CZE 180 factors, (2) Kosek POL 120, (3) Lorena Beck LIE 100
Lead: Peerless Shin takes one other gold
The lads’s lead competitors arguably witnessed the largest surprises. Having returned to competitors in type at a Continental Cup final weekend, world champion Louna Ladevant was anticipated to guide the cost of Group France. Nonetheless to the gasps of the Saas-Payment crowd, he missed a dyno comparatively early into his ultimate climb and would end in eighth place. Three different French climbers made the ultimate – Virgile Devin (primary picture), Tristan Ladevant and Nathan Clair. It was the previous who prevailed. The 23-year has loved gold medal success at continental degree and having come closest to the highest of a extremely technical Saas-Payment route, his anticipate World Cup gold was over. Tristan Ladveant completed second with Lee Younggeon, second in Cheongsong, taking bronze to go the World Tour standings.
After two rounds, the World Tour chief boards are:
(1) Lee KOR 145 factors, (2) Kwon KOR 100, (3) Devin FRA 100
Within the girls’s occasion, Woonseon Shin (above) turned the one athlete to take gold medals from each World Cup rounds. Moreover, the veteran South Korean athlete claimed first place ultimately weekend’s UIAA Ice Climbing Continental Cup in France. Finishing the set, Shin was the one climber to high the Saas-Payment route. It places her in a powerful place to take the World Tour title within the deciding spherical of the sequence, to be held in Edmonton, Canada from 16-18 February. As final climber of the weekend, Switzerland’s Sina Goetz, first within the semi-finals, loved the partisan assist of the house crowd as she tried to match Shin’s achievement. She would fall with the TOP marker in sight and the clock agonisingly ticking down. Bronze went to France’s Marion Salmon-Thomas.
After two rounds, the World Tour chief boards are:
(1) Shin KOR 200 factors, (2) Salmon-Thomas FRA 120, (3) Goetz SUI 117
The occasion was organised in partnership with the Swiss Alpine Membership and the host group, led by Kurt Arnold and Dario Andenmatten. It marked the twenty fourth time that Saas-Payment has hosted a UIAA competitors. Amongst the delegates in attendance have been Seulki Kim from Youngone Company/Outside Analysis and IFMGA President Urs Wellauer. Medalists additionally acquired timepieces from Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix. The watches offered got here from a spread constituted of ocean-bound upcycled plastic. Additional particulars right here.
The subsequent UIAA Ice Climbing competitors is a Continental Open in Oulu, Finland on 3 February. The World Cup season closes on 16-18 February with a tantalising double-header, a World Cup and World Championships in Edmonton, Canada.
Images: UIAA/Kaspar Kellerhals
Outcomes from Saas-Payment
Images
UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD TOUR PARTNER
