The 2023-24 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour, partnered by Outside Analysis, has saved its greatest for final.
From 16-18 February, Canada hosts its first UIAA-sanctioned occasion in over 20 years with the arrival of the biennial UIAA Ice Climbing World Championships in Edmonton. The downtown occasion, to be staged close to the Edmonton Oilers hockey enviornment, is predicted to welcome 1000’s of spectators. The ambiance shall be electrical for an exhilarating weekend of mountain climbing.
Anticipation is excessive for a return to a North American city atmosphere following the large success of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup in Denver in 2019. The organisers, YEG Ice Fest by the Alpine Membership of Canada Edmonton Part and supported by Discover Edmonton, have labored tirelessly to arrange a tremendous competitors construction.
“The weekend in Edmonton guarantees to supply an enthralling conclusion to a profitable UIAA Ice Climbing season. Each the organisers and the UIAA have labored laborious to make sure that the showcase occasion of the calendar gives a spectacular platform for the game. I can’t wait to observe the athletes compete for world titles in entrance of 1000’s of spectators and on a powerful, purpose-built construction. As a Canadian it’s nice to have the World Tour make its first go to to the nation in over twenty years.”
Peter Muir, UIAA President
“Our crew has been laborious at work for the previous couple of months in anticipation of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Championships! We’re excited to showcase the bodily prowess of those worldwide athletes as they climb our newly designed 19m x 27m climbing construction within the coronary heart of downtown. We’re wanting ahead to displaying Edmontonians what world-class competitors mountain climbing is all about. Over the two-day championships, we anticipate 1000’s of spectators to absorb our occasion.”
Stacey Yuen, YEG Ice Fest & Native Organising Committee
Not solely will the weekend crown the brand new world champions, factors may even decide the winners of the general World Cup rankings following rounds in South Korea and Switzerland.
Photograph of construction in Edmonton courtesy of Rob Adie
Nearly 100 athletes have registered from the next international locations: Canada (10), Czech Republic (1), Finland (2), France (4), Nice Britain (6), Hong Kong, China (2), Iran (4), Eire (1), Japan (5), Liechtenstein (5), Mongolia (9), Netherlands (2), Poland (4), Slovakia (5), South Korea (5), Spain (4), Switzerland (5), United States (17)
A full listing of registered athletes could be discovered right here. The total occasion programme could be discovered right here.
Mountain Voices Podcast: What’s Competitors Ice Climbing?
Forward of the weekend in Edmonton, the UIAA has launched its new podcast, Mountain Voices. Throughout every episode, specialists from the climbing and mountaineering world talk about points that impression climbers and mountaineers. Episode #1, accessible on all main podcast platforms, addresses competitors mountain climbing and options the contributions of Rob Adie, UIAA Sports activities Occasion Coordinator, in addition to athletes Gordon McArthur and Eimir McSwiggan.
Edmonton Preview: Lead/Problem
The Lead Semi-Finals and Last happen on Sunday 18 February. Neither the reigning girls’s champion, Petra Klingler, nor the lads’s, Louna Ladevant, will compete. The favorite for the ladies’s title shall be former world champion Woonseon Shin. The South Korean athlete is in imperious kind having gained each World Cup occasions and in addition triumphed in her one Continental Open look. Nonetheless, competing on a brand new construction will add one other layer of complexity. Shin’s nearest rivals within the World Tour standings, Marion Salmon-Thomas and Sina Goetz, will try to take their first world titles. Marianne van der Steen of the Netherlands is the shape athlete from the Continental circuit the place Aneta Louzecka, Czech Republic, the Beck sisters from Liechtenstein, Japan’s Haruko Takeuchi, Olga Kosek of Poland and Catalina Shirley of america convey spectacular kind.
Ladies’s World Tour standings:
1. Woonseon Shin (KOR) 200 pts, 2. Marion Salmon-Thomas (FRA) 120, 3. Sina Goetz (SUI) 117
There isn’t any clear favorite for the lads’s occasion. France’s Virgile Devin triumphed final trip in Saas-Payment and along with compatriot Nathan Clair is a part of a robust crew. Spanish athletes Javier Cano Blazquez and Jorge Veiga Rodriguez have been spectacular on the Continental circuit however but to medal on the world stage. Lee Younggeon, South Korea, has loved a constant season as the one athlete to medal at each World Cup occasions. The US crew consists of rising star Keenan Griscom whereas the host nation welcome again veteran McArthur to elite competitors. Switzerland’s Benjamin Bosshard is one other with a robust potential.
Males’s World Tour standings:
1. Lee Younggeon (KOR) 145 pts, 2. Younghye Kwon (KOR) 100, 3. Virgile Devin (FRA) 100
Livestream hyperlinks
09:30 -12:30 native time
14:00 – 17:00 native time
19:00 – 21:00 native time
Edmonton Preview: Velocity
The pace competitors all takes place on Saturday 17 February.
Within the males’s occasion, Iran’s Mohsen Beheshti Rad will search to defend the world title he claimed in Switzerland in 2022. In doing so, the 39-year outdated might want to win his first occasion of the season after an eighth place and a silver medal in his two World Cups. Competitors shall be fierce. The winners of the 2 World Cup occasions each come from Mongolia – Kherlen Nyamdoo and Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar spearhead the problem from an rising pressure within the sport. Additionally more likely to be in competition are Myungwook Yang of South Korea, Mohammadreza Safdarian of Iran, whereas Canada may have excessive hopes in David Bouffard, winner of two medals on the Continental circuit this season. Nonetheless in a self-discipline contested at excessive pace on a vertical wall of ice, there isn’t a room for error so there may be each probability of an upset.
Males’s World Tour standings:
1. Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar (MGL) 180 factors, 2. Mohsen Beheshti Rad (IRN) 120, 3. Mohammadreza Safdarian (IRN) 116
Within the girls’s occasion all 5 of the main athletes within the World Tour are competing. Louzecka, with a gold and silver to her title, is the shape athlete. Kosek, Tsz Shan Kung from the China Hong Kong Mountaineering and Climbing Union and Shirley, silver medallist within the Cheongsong World Cup, will all be athletes to observe. A compelling problem may even come from Lea and Lorena Beck, respectively fourth and first in Saas-Payment final trip.
Ladies’s World Tour standings:
1. Aneta Louzecka (CZE) 180 factors, 2. Olga Kosek (POL), 120, 3. Lorena Beck (LIE), 100
Livestream hyperlinks
20:00 – 21:00 native time
A full overview of the weekend in Edmonton shall be launched on Monday 19 February. Following the UIAA occasions, the construction will stay open as a part of an mountain climbing competition – YEG Ice Fest – the place most of the people can take a look at their expertise and be taught extra concerning the sport. Additional particulars right here.
Photographs from the occasion shall be accessible on the UIAA Flickr Channel.
Dwell outcomes shall be accessible right here
Comply with the UIAA social media channels for unique content material and reside updates
Important photograph: Motion from the final main UIAA Ice Climbing occasion in an North American city atmosphere, held in Denver in 2019. Credit score: UIAA/Levi Harrell
