Earlier at the moment, the lads’s Lead World Cup remaining was held in Innsbruck, Austria. Hometown favorite Jakob Schubert got here out on high, besting his rivals by a number of holds excessive up on the path to win gold. The 33-year-old is one of the best male Lead comp climber of all time. He holds the document for probably the most Lead World Cup medals, incomes 21 golds, 17 silvers, and 16 bronzes all through his profession. He’s additionally gained 4 golds, two silvers, and one bronze on the Lead World Championships. He additionally gained bronze on the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
In final yr’s Lead World Cup circuit, Schubert gained bronze in Innsbruck and gold in Villars. He additionally gained gold in Lead and Mixed on the World Championships final summer time, incomes his probability to compete within the Paris Olympics. He crushed on rock final yr as properly, making the primary ascent of B.I.G. 5.15d and repeating Alphane V17. With the 2 sends, he grew to become the primary climber ever to climb each 5.15d and V17.
In Innsbruck at the moment, the lads’s remaining route was a novel one. Complicated holds, a dangerous dynamic transfer down low, and a pump, crimpy end made for some tense, thrilling climbing. Alex Megos put up a powerful efficiency early within the night, falling as he moved in the direction of maintain 43. His fellow rivals couldn’t match his highpoint, together with Colin Duffy of Crew USA who fell at maintain 40+ and Nice Britain’s Toby Roberts who fell at maintain 41+.
Having positioned first within the semis, Jakob Schubert was the ultimate climber of the night. He made just a few errors on the route and you could possibly inform his pump was constructing as he neared the fortieth maintain. Most climbers would have succumbed to the pump however Schubert is a machine. He saved climbing, grabbing crimp after crimp, shaking out right here and there, and at last fell on the forty fifth maintain. He had gained one more gold. Born in Innsbruck, Schubert’s hometown crowd went wild.
“Climbing right here at house is all the time completely different, it’s all the time particular,” mentioned Schubert after his victory. “This route at the moment was exceptionally particular as a result of it was such a loopy battle from midway up. Each transfer I felt like [I was] going to fall. I really feel like I may need not been one of the best climber at the moment on this route however I believe I used to be one of the best fighter. That’s what introduced me the victory and it was additionally solely potential due to the group in my again.”
Megos and Roberts joined Schubert on the rostrum in second and third respectively. Duffy took fourth place. It’s attention-grabbing to notice that every one high 4 rivals will probably be collaborating within the Paris Olympics subsequent month. One stunning absence from the lads’s remaining in Innsbruck was Sorato Anraku. He didn’t make it by the semi-finals after an sudden fall, inserting tenth total.
The manufacturing of the occasion was marred by some unusual camerawork all through. A number of digital camera angles had been used within the reside filming, with zoomed-in photographs and fast cuts typically making it unattainable to know what precisely a climber was doing at a given second. Many key moments equivalent to falls and highpoints had been missed as a result of incorrect digital camera angle being chosen.
A sequence of drones had been used for filming, which supplied some attention-grabbing views that confirmed the steepness of the wall and the holds the climbers had been utilizing. Nonetheless, the drones had been typically in unideal areas and barely held regular. Hopefully on the subsequent World Cup, the manufacturing staff will determine to rely extra on the usual broad shot, which greatest showcases the climbing. Swooping drone photographs and zoom-ins on holds and ft are nice for mixing it up from time to time, however these creative flairs shouldn’t interrupt the viewing expertise.
Closing Outcomes
- Jakob Schubert [AUT] (45)
- Alex Megos [GER] (42+)
- Toby Roberts [GBR] (41+)
- Colin Duffy [USA] (40+)
- Shuta Tanaka [JPN] (34+)
- Taisei Homma [JPN] (29)
- Jonas Utelli [SUI] (29)
- Tomoa Naraksaki [JPN] (28+)
Lead World Cup Finals – Innsbruck 2024
