An enthralling UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup was served this weekend in Saas-Charge, Switzerland, by 125 athletes from 20 nations. The 12 medals noticed an ideal cut up between climbers from European member federations – hosts Switzerland (2), France (2), Liechtenstein (1), Czechia (1) and by Asian member federations – Iran (1), Mongolia (2), South Korea (3).
For the organizers in Saas-Charge, supported by the Swiss Alpine Membership (SAC), it was a poignant weekend. The hosts marked the 25-year anniversary of welcoming competitors mountain climbing to the resort whereas remembering one of many architects of that feat – Dario Andenmatten who tragically handed away in October. Dario was a pioneer within the creation and evolution of mountain climbing occasions in Saas-Charge. The UIAA introduced the organizers with a certificates of appreciation in recognition for 25 years of internet hosting a various array of competitions – notably World Cups, World Championships and World Youth Championships.
The lead finals, as is custom, concluded an exciting last day. With spectators packing ever vantage level, climbers got further inspiration as they scaled one of many World Tour’s most vertical routes.
Within the girls’s occasion, eight athletes from six nations contested the ultimate. Extremely 5 would prime the route, that means the medal locations got here right down to who ascended quickest. The tightest hole proved to be for the bronze medal place the place reigning world champion Woonseon Shin (KOR) pipped Catalina Shirley (USA) by a mere two seconds. After failing to medal in her dwelling occasion final outing, Shin took her first podium end of the season. The gold and silver locations have been contested by two Swiss athletes – Sina Goetz (photograph, above) and Franziska Schönbächler. Goetz, gold medal winner in Spherical 1 in South Korea prevailed, finishing the route with somewhat over 90 seconds to spare. Schönbächler, third within the World Championships final yr, had been the quickest within the semi-finals and silver caps a formidable weekend. With two gold medals, Goetz leads the general standings following two flawless performances.
Lead Finals: Replay
The lads’s last was contested by eight athletes from 4 nations. And like the ladies’s occasion, the highest two went to the identical nationwide staff. In actual fact, to the identical household. Louna Ladevant (foremost photograph), the dominant drive in males’s lead mountain climbing, through the 2022 and 2023 seasons, returned to kind to seal gold as the one athlete to prime the route. In doing so he denied his older brother Tristan a primary ever World Cup gold. Forward of subsequent weekend’s competitors on their dwelling ice tower, a formidable assertion from the Ladevant brothers. Bronze medal went to Younggeon Lee, one in every of three third locations for the South Korean staff. After two rounds Lee leads the World Tour as solely athlete to medal in each competitions.
The pace competitors in its quickest time wins, athlete towards the clock format, was totally held on Friday night. With a blistering ascent of the 15m wall in 7.67 seconds, Iran’s Mohammadreza Safdarian took gold for the second week operating to retain management of the World Tour. Mongolia’s Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar, 8.25, and South Korea’s Joon Kyu Park, 8.53 claimed silver and bronze.
Pace Finals: Replay
Mongolia would go one higher within the girls’s competitors. Selenge Nyamdoo’s ascent in 11.83 pulverised the competitors. Including to her silver in Cheongsong, she now leads the World Tour rankings. Lea Beck (LIE), took silver in 14.28, and reigning world champion Aneta Louzecka (CZE), bronze with a time of 15.31.
The UIAA thanks the native organizers in Saas-Charge in addition to the SAC and all our bodies concerned within the distinctive supply of the occasion and appears ahead to future collaboration. The UIAA delegation on the occasion included Honorary Member and former President Frits Vrijlandt, CEO Nils Glatthard and three workplace employees – Rob Adie (Sport Occasions Coordinator), Carol Kahoun (Challenge Supervisor) and Philippe Quintart (Mountain Security Challenge Supervisor). Worldwide Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) President Urs Wellauer and IFMGA Secretary Christoph Schaub have been additionally in attendance.
Full outcomes, and the most recent World Tour rankings are on the UIAA Ice Climbing web site.
The turnaround to the subsequent competitors, spherical 3 of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour in Champagny-en-Vanoise, France, is a brief one with motion going down between 30 January and 1 February. A preview of the occasion will likely be revealed on Wednesday 29 January.
While the World Cup competitors was going down within the Swiss Alps, the North American Continental Open was staged in Ouray, Colorado. Keenan Griscom and Sara Lilley took the gold medals at an occasion which acts as a one thing of a precursor for rounds 4 and 5 of the World Tour which is able to happen in North America. A powerful 54 athletes representing Canada and the US took half.
Property for Media and Followers
Brief-form content material, highlights, podium posts and updates can be found on the UIAA social media channels, notably Fb and Instagram.
Occasion photographs can be found on the UIAA Flickr channel.
Reside outcomes are out there from the UIAA Ice Climbing web site.
A choice of ‘better of’ photographs for media, ready for the 2024-2025 season, might be discovered right here.
Press releases will likely be out there for all World Cup occasions, each previews (-3 days earlier than) and critiques (day +1). Please subscribe to obtain press releases on to your inbox.
Please go to iceclimbing.sport for all occasion data, particulars on occasion programmes and timings, athlete registrations, dwell outcomes and extra.
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Images: UIAA/Kaspar Kellerhals
