Sports Bulletin Report
Hachioji (Japan): American climber, Brooke Raboutou has won the first ever IFSC World Cup gold medal, as the Germany’s Hannah Meul picked up silver while Japan’s Matsufuji Anon clinched bronze in front of home crowd, her best ever finish in an IFSC Boulder World Cup.
Ayala Kerem (ISR) also finished best ever finish in 4th, Luo Zhilu (CHN) was spotted in 5th, and Mia Krampl (SLO) got 6th position, as the final was contested by athletes from six different countries.
No competitor in the final had ever won an IFSC Boulder World Cup. The last 17 IFSC World Cup Boulder events have been won by either Natalia Grossman (USA) or Janja Garnbret (SLO).
Brooke Raboutou (USA) – Gold medallist
“It’s crazy. I feel a lot. It hasn’t really sunk. I knew I had won when I topped the last boulder, but even then, I was like ‘are you sure?’. Most of all I just feel thankful and really happy with my climbing today.”
“I called my parents and they are very, very happy. My mum just told me she was really proud of me, but I feel that every day with them anyway. As much as winning a World Cup was a big dream for me, I had to thank my parents because they got me here and they get me up the wall.”
Hannah Meul (GER) – Silver medallist
“It’s amazing. I’m super happy to start the season like this. It’s definitely the best start. I had the perfect mixture of being nervous, but also confident in my climbing and what I am capable of.”
“This competition was the hardest emotionally. The most important thing in this competition was to carry my teammate Christoph Schweiger in my heart. He was supposed to be here to climb and show what he could do. So, it was important to enjoy this gift that we have to be here and climb. The love we have and all share for climbing is something that cannot die, so I wanted to chase that spirit for him. He gave me a lot of power in the end.”
