Sports Bulletin

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), the Alpine Association of Slovenia, and the Chinese Mountaineering Association announced the cities of Koper, Slovenia, and Wujiang to host IFSC World Cup competitions in 2022. The fifth largest city in Slovenia, Koper will host an IFSC World Cup for the first time, from 2 to 3 September, extending a long-lasting tradition that saw the city of Kranj, Slovenia, organise 25 World Cup competitions between 1996 and 2021. After welcoming World Cup competitions for seven consecutive years – from 2013 to 2019 – Wujiang will make its return to the IFSC World Cup circuit with the 13th and closing act of the 2022 season, set to take place from 30 September to 2 October. The IFSC Lead and Speed World Cup in Bali, Indonesia, has also been rescheduled and will now take place from 24 to 26 September. IFSC World Cup Series 2022 calendar: 1-3 April – Moscow (RUS) – Boulder, Speed 8-10 April – Meiringen (SUI) – Boulder 29 April-1 May – TBD location in Japan – Boulder 6-8 May – Seoul (KOR) – Boulder, Speed 20-22 May – Salt Lake City (USA) – Boulder 27-29 May – Salt Lake City (USA) – Boulder, Speed 22-25 June – Innsbruck (AUT) – Boulder, Lead 1-3 July – Villars (SUI) – Lead, Speed 8-10 July – Chamonix (FRA) – Lead, Speed 22-23 July – Briançon (FRA) – Lead 2-3 September – Koper (SLO) – Lead 24-26 September – Bali (INA) – Lead, Speed 30 September-2 October – Wujiang (CHN) – Lead, Speed

Torino (SB Report):-The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recommended that Sport Climbing be included on the full programme of 28 sports for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. The proposal, made yesterday with the endorsement of the LA28 organising committee, will now be subject to a vote by the full IOC Session during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, in February. In addition to Sport Climbing, Skateboarding and Surfing were also included among the list of 28 sports to be submitted for approval by the Session. Sport Climbing made its successful Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 this summer with a Combined event of Boulder, Lead, and Speed. It is also set to appear at Paris 2024, where a total of 68 athletes will compete in two events: Speed, and a new Boulder & Lead format. The exciting news about LA28 has been greeted with great enthusiasm by the climbing community. IFSC President Marco Scolaris: “I am grateful to the IOC Executive Board for this recognition. I am confident the IOC Session in Beijing will accept their proposal, and that we will be given the possibility to contribute to the success of LA28.” IFSC Athletes’ Commission President and Olympian Shauna Coxsey: “The continued presence of Sport Climbing in the Olympic programme for Los Angeles 2028 will continue to introduce the sport I love to new audiences around the world. The Olympics was a life changing experience for me, and I am so pleased that future generations of athletes will be able to compete on the biggest stage and more people will get to share the joys our sport can bring.”

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (November 20, 2021):-Feature-length documentary film ‘The Wall - Climb for Gold’ made its global premiere in New York City, USA, last night, with Olympian and protagonist Brooke Raboutou and Debra Gawrych, International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Secretary General, in attendance. The film follows four of Sport Climbing’s first female Olympians on their journey to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where the sport made its Olympic debut earlier this year. In the two years approaching the Games, the athletes battle through Olympic qualifying events, face an intense season of competitions and training, before having their dreams and plans put on hold as the COVID-19 pandemic forces the postponement of the Olympics. Providing an intimate portrait into the lives of Great Britain’s Shauna Coxsey, Japan’s Miho Nonaka, Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret, and the USA’s Brooke Raboutou, the documentary reveals inspiring insight into what it means to be a climber, an Olympian, and ultimately, what it means to be human. With six World Championship titles and 31 IFSC World Cup gold medals under her belt, Slovenian Sport Climbing sensation Janja Garnbret is one of the most decorated climbers to date, aged just 22. After making history in 2019 by sweeping the entire IFSC Boulder World Cup season, the Slovenian broke another barrier in 2021, becoming one of the first Olympic gold medallists in Sport Climbing alongside Spain’s Alberto Gine?s Lo?pez. Garnbret’s superpower is performing well under pressure, remembering to be present in the moment and enjoy the climb. Competing on home soil at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, 2018 IFSC Boulder World Cup Champion Miho Nonaka fought to overcome the added pressure of representing her country in her home city, climbing onto the second step of the Olympic podium with a silver medal. One of Sport Climbing’s youngest Olympians competing in Tokyo, Brooke Raboutou balances training with university studies. Born into a family of climbing legends, with her mother Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou and father Didier Raboutou taking numerous IFSC World Cup titles in the 1990’s, Brooke hopes to continue the family success. Produced by award-winning production company Windfall Films, part of the Argonon group, ‘The Wall – Climb for Gold’ is executive produced by Dan Kendall, directed by Nick Hardie, includes a score by multi-award-winning composer Nainita Desai, and is edited by Emily West. The film features footage shot at IFSC competitions during the last two years, with IFSC Secretary General Debra Gawrych and Marco Vettoretti, IFSC Head of Communications, receiving thanks in the credits. Attending the global premiere in New York City, USA, IFSC Secretary General Debra Gawrych said: “It was a fantastic evening and Brooke was the shining star of the event. I believe the film will catapult our sport to new heights with spectators all over the world.  It shows how hard these four women worked, how they had to work through failures and then succeed – if not to win the gold or podium, even to succeed in life.  It shows the support of their families and is beautiful from a cinematic aspect as well. I was blown away.” Star of the film Brooke Raboutou attended the premiere alongside family-members Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou, Didier Raboutou, and Shawn Raboutou.  IFSC Routesetter Chris Danielson and former athlete Angela Payne were also present at the documentary’s debut screening. Next on the premiere tour is Kendal Mountain Festival in Kendal, Great Britain, where Shauna Coxsey, Olympian and IFSC Athletes’ Commission President, will host a question-and-answer session this weekend following the film’s second public screening.  The full list of premiere dates and locations is as follows: 20 November - Kendal (GBR), Kendal Mountain Festival, ft. Q&A with Shauna Coxsey 25 November – Tokyo (JPN), Ikebukuro Humax, ft. Q&A with Miho Nonaka 30 November – Nuremburg (GER), Café Kraft 2 December – Munich (GER), Filmtheater Sendlinger Tor 8 December – Ljubljana (SLO), Cukrarna Gallery

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (November 19, 2021):-The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) European Council held its General Assembly in the Portuguese city of Figueira da Foz. In addition to the election of a new IFSC Europe Executive Board, the assembly also awarded the first recipients of the IFSC Europe Sustainability Award. Launched earlier in 2021, the award offers recognition to organisers of IFSC Europe continental competitions for their efforts in sustainability. The Award criteria, evaluates the environmental impact of each competition, from accommodation, energy, and refreshments, to merchandising, transportation, and waste management. Five IFSC Europe competitions were nominated for the initial award, judged by a panel featuring former IFSC Europe Secretary General Colin Knowles, IFSC Europe Athlete Representative Charlotte Durif, Julia Kaess of the Deutsche Alpenverein (DAV), Sandra Lailas Dottar of the Swedish Climbing Federation (SKF), and Robby Toth of Climbing and Mountaineering Belgium (CMBEL). Three of the five registered competitions received a silver sustainability award, with two being awarded bronze. Recipients of the first IFSC Europe Sustainability Award are as follows: SILVER Continental Cup (Lead, Speed) in Laval, France organised by the Fédération Française de la Montagne et de l'Escalade (FFME). Continental Youth Cup (Lead) in Ostermundigen, Switzerland organised by the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC). Continental Youth Cup (Lead, Speed) in Puurs, Belgium organised by Climbing and Mountaineering Belgium (CMBEL). BRONZE Continental Cup (Boulder) in Klagenfurt, Austria organised by Kletterverband Österreich (KVÖ). Continental Youth Championships (Boulder, Lead, Speed) in Perm, Russia organised by the Climbing Federation of Russia (CFR).

Sports Bulletin Report LOS ANGELES (October 11, 2021):- The final IFSC Para-Climbing World Cup of the season wrapped up at the Sender One Climbing Gym in Los Angeles, California, USA, where 57 climbers, representing 4 countries gathered for the conclusive event of the 2021 IFSC season. The competition day opened with 53-year-old multi-decorated athlete Kobayashi Koichiro securing his first gold medal of the season in the B1 class. The five-time world champion climbed up to hold number 41, besting Ravan Nedu of Romania – silver medallist with 35+ - and Jesse Dufton of Great Britain – third with 32+. Competing on her home turf, first-time Paraclimbing World Cup participant Hannah McFadden (25) won the gold medal in the AL2 sport class, placing ahead of South Africa’s Emily Gray by the slightest margin – in fact, McFadden secured hold number 22, while Gray finished with 21+. The podium was completed by Germany’s Jaqueline Fritz, who closed with 21 and took bronze. The duel between Austria’s Angelino Zeller (25) and Germany’s Korbinian Franck in the men’s RP1 class was one of the most anticipated of the programme, after they both placed on the podium at all competitions in 2021. Zeller, gold medalist at the IFSC Paraclimbing World Championships Moscow 2021 last September, eventually finished in first place, with Franck taking silver. Tanner Cislaw of the United States also placed on the podium, securing the bronze medal with 33+. Belgian 34-year-old climber Frederik Leys dominated the men’s AL2 final, finally pocketing the first international gold medal of his career, and adding it to the silver he won at Moscow 2021, and the bronze he claimed at this year’s first Paraclimbing World Cup, in Innsbruck, Austria. Also on the AL2 podium, Jake Sanchez and Colin Torpey – both representing the United States – respectively finished second and third. In the women’s RP2 class, a thrilling battle between Austria’s Jasmin Plank (33) and Belgium’s Pavitra Vandenhoven ended up with the former taking gold thanks to her better placement in the qualification round, after both Plank and Vandenhoven finished with 29+. The Belgian climber, current reigning world champion in the RP1 sport class, finished in second place, while United States’ Emily Seelenfreund placed third and won bronze in her first Paraclimbing World Cup appearance. 29-year-old Solenne Piret of France completed her sweep by claiming the fourth gold medal of a stellar 2021 season in the AU2 sport class, finishing in first position with 47+. Italy’s Lucia Capovilla followed in second, with Maureen Beck of the United States also placing on the podium and winning bronze. The closing final of the day crowned Israel’s Mor Michael Sapir in the men’s RP2 class. Despite barely missing the top of the route, the 30-year-old climber secured hold number 56+, and pocketed his third gold medals this year. Also on the men’s RP2 podium, Manikandan Kumar of India, and Brian Zarzuela of the United States finished in joint second place, both winning silver. Additionally, four Paraclimbing sport classes competed at master level: Austria’s Edith Scheinecker placed ahed of her two opponents – Slovenia’s Tanja Glusic and Romania’s Ionela Grecu – in the women’s B3; in the men’s B3 class, Simone Salvagnin of Italy prevailed over Connor Gearey of the United States; Katharina Ritt of Austria ruled the women’s RP3 final, placing ahead of United States’ Madisyn Taute and Eliana Wallack, who respectively ended in second and third position; finally, Micah Winkle of the United States took first place in the the men’s RP3 final, with his teammate Jared Lenahan following in second place, and Shamus Boulianne of Canada taking third place.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Torino (October 5, 2021):-The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is proud to unveil the calendar of the upcoming 2022 season, opening with the XVIII IFSC General Assembly in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. 2022 IFSC WORLD CUP SERIES Consisting of 13 stages in total and distributed over 10 countries and three continents, the 2022 IFSC World Cup Series will take place between April and September. The opening World Cup competition of the season will take place in Moscow, Russia, while Salt Lake City is also expected to host another doubleheader, replicating the successful formula that debuted in May 2021. Hosting the only IFSC World Cup in both Boulder and Lead, Innsbruck, Austria, marks the midpoint of the season. July will see the return of three long-standing landmarks on the calendar, with world cups in Villars, Switzerland; Chamonix, France; and Briançon, France. The full schedule of the 2022 IFSC World Cup Series is as follows: 1-3 April – Moscow (RUS) – Boulder, Speed 8-10 April – Meiringen (SUI) – Boulder 29 April-1 May – TBD location in Japan – Boulder 6-8 May – Seoul (KOR) – Boulder, Speed 20-22 May – Salt Lake City (USA) – Boulder 27-29 May – Salt Lake City (USA) – Boulder, Speed 22-25 June – Innsbruck (AUT) – Boulder, Lead 1-3 July – Villars (SUI) – Lead, Speed 8-10 July – Chamonix (FRA) – Lead, Speed 22-23 July – Briançon (FRA) – Lead 3-4 September – TBD location in Slovenia – Lead 22-24 September – Bali (INA) – Lead, Speed 28-30 September – TBD location in China – Lead, Speed MULTI-SPORT EVENTS Following the outstanding Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, Sport Climbing will feature at three different multi-sport events in 2022: the World Games Birmingham 2022, where all three disciplines will be contested; the European Championships Munich 2022, with Boulder, Lead, and Speed being joined by the Olympic Games Paris 2024 format of Boulder & Lead; and the 19th edition of the Asian Games, set to take place in Hangzhou, China. YOUTH AND PARACLIMBING The yearly IFSC Youth World Championships will be organised in the United States of America, in a city still to be defined, between 22 and 31 August. Paraclimbing’s 2022 competition calendar will be presented later in 2021. IFSC President Marco Scolaris commented: “The year 2021 has been a non-stop challenge, for us and for the whole world. However, we made our debut at the most unique edition of the Olympic Games, and, eventually, we succeeded organising a number of great IFSC competitions. The calendar of the 2022 season is not just a mere list of dates, locations, and competitions. It is a symbol of hope, and we are very much looking forward to bringing the Sport Climbing world united again, with no exceptions.”

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Islamabad (October 1, 2021):-Sirbaz Khan, the first Pakistani to climb 9 over 8000 meters peaks including a successful expedition of Mount Dhaulagiri at an altitude of 8167 meters. The 32 years old climber Sirbaz Khan, who belongs from Aliabad, Hunza began his professional climbing career in 2016. Sirbaz became the first Pakistani to summit Mount Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain at 8,516 meters in Nepal without using supplementary oxygen. His other 8,000 meters summits include K2, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, Manaslu., Anapurna, Everest Gasherbrum II, and now Dhaulagiri. On four of his 8,000m peaks expeditions, Khan had accompanied Mohammad Ali Sadpara. List of Summits 1- Nanga Parbat 8125-M 2017 2- K2 8611-M 2018 3- Broad Peak 8047-M 2019 4- Manaslu 8163-M 2019 5- Lhotse Peak 8516-M 2019 6- Anapurna 8091- M 2021 7- Everest 8848 – M 2021 8- Gasherbrum II 8035-M 9- Dhaulagiri 8167-M

SPORTS REPORT Torino, Russia (September 27, 2021):-Elections for the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Athletes’ Commission took place at the 2021 IFSC Climbing World Championships in Moscow, Russia, with Olympian Shauna Coxsey MBE, of Great Britain, elected as President. Voted into the commission as a member during the 2019 World Championships in Hachioji, Japan, Coxsey was subsequently selected as Vice President by fellow members, before being elected as President in 2021. Coxsey won the overall Boulder World Cup title in both 2016 and 2017 and has 30 IFSC World Cup medals, as well as two World Championship medals, to her name. The Brit bowed out from professional Sport Climbing with a commendable tenth place at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 this August. When asked about her election as President of the IFSC Athletes’ Commission, Coxsey said: “After 24 years climbing, and over a decade competing as a professional athlete, I feel it pertinent to use my experience and give back to the sport that’s given me so much. I have long been passionate about being a part of the positive development of our sport. Having recently retired from professional competition climbing I have both the understanding of what it takes to be up on the stage, and the distance and perspective of now being on the other side of the fence. As well, I have also spent the last two years sitting on IFSC Executive Board as the Athletes’ Commission Vice President. There are lots of opportunities as well as challenges for our sport over the coming years and I am looking forward to working closely with the IFSC to make sure the athletes voice is at the heart of our sports development.” Coxsey succeeded Canadian climber Sean McColl as President, who previously held the position after being elected during the 2016 edition of the IFSC World Championships in Paris, France. McColl will retain his seat on the commission as a member, alongside the newly elected Michael Piccolruaz of Italy, who replaces the Netherlands’ Jorg Verhoeven. Olympic bronze medallist Jakob Schubert of Austria, Anna Tsyganova of Russia, and Dmitrii Timofeev of Russia were all reconfirmed as commission members after their four-year terms following the 2016 elections drew to a close. The six athletes elected in Moscow, including President Shauna Coxsey, will join those elected in 2019 on the commission. A meeting is yet to be scheduled to select a Vice President, who will sit alongside Coxsey as athlete representative on the IFSC Executive Board. “Congratulations to Shauna Coxsey, one of our first Olympians, on her election as Athletes’ Commission President. I look forward to continuing our work together and bringing the voices of the athletes to the Executive Board,” said IFSC President Marco Maria Scolaris. “A special thanks goes to Sean McColl for the time he has dedicated to this position over the last years, and will continue to do so as a member of the commission.” The IFSC Athletes’ Commission is currently composed by the following athletes: Shauna Coxsey (GBR) – President, elected in 2021; Anna Tsyganova (RUS) – Member, elected in 2021; Charlotte Durif (FRA) – Member, elected in 2019; Dmitrii Timofeev (RUS) – Member, elected in 2021; Gregor Vezonik (SLO) – Member, elected in 2019; Ievgeniia Kazbekova (UKR) – Member, elected in 2019; Jakob Schubert (AUT) – Member, elected in 2021; Kokoro Fujii (JPN) – Member, elected in 2019; Kyra Condie (USA) – Member, elected in 2019; Michael Piccolruaz (ITA) – Member, elected in 2021; Sean McColl (CAN) – Member, elected in 2021; Stanislav Kokorin (RUS) – Member, elected in 2019; Stasa Gejo (SRB) – Member, elected in 2019.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Moscow (September 22, 2021):-The IFSC Climbing World Championships Moscow 2021 came to a spectacular end tonight, at the Irina Viner-Usmanova Palace, where the men’s and women’s Lead finals closed the six-day competition. At the end of the medal ceremonies, IFSC President Marco Scolaris officially declared the championships closed, receiving the IFSC flag from the hands of CFR President Dmitriy Bychkov, and handing it to Switzerland’s representatives Kevin Hemund and Andrea Kümin. The 2023 IFSC Climbing and Paraclimbing World Championships, indeed, are scheduled to be held in Bern. SCHUBERT’S COLLECTION GETS BIGGER A nail-biting men’s final opened the show, with Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Jakob Schubert of Austria eventually claiming his third World Championships title in the Lead discipline – the other two being Paris 2012 and Innsbruck 2018. The 30-year-old experienced athlete was one of two climbers securing the top hold, in a neck-and-neck final where only a couple of moves separated first and fifth place. “I really had to fight hard on this route,” said Schubert. “I didn’t really like the technical part on the slab, I felt like I didn’t climb so well, but somehow I recovered. Obviously, I knew there was a top already, so I knew I had to give everything to reach the top hold. I still don’t know how, but I reached it!” Thanks to his better placement in the men’s Lead semi-final, Schubert placed ahead of Slovenia’s rising star Luka Potocar. For the talented 19-year-old, it is the second international silver medal won in the span of a few weeks, after he placed second in Lead at the IFSC World Cup in Kranj, Slovenia, at the beginning of September. The bronze medal was awarded to Great Britain’s 19-year-old Hamish McArthur, who finished with the score of 46+ and barely missed the chance to duplicate the Lead title he won at the Youth World Championships in Voronezh, Russia, last August. A FLAWLESS WIN FOR SEO There couldn’t have been a better ending to Moscow 2021 than the women’s Lead final. After topping all the routes in the qualification and semi-final rounds, South Korea’s 17-year-old Seo Chaehyun completed her perfect streak by also securing the highest hold in the final round, thus becoming the 2021 Lead world champion in her third season as a senior athlete. “The part at the top felt easy,” commented the seven-time World Cup medallist. “While the lower part was definitely harder. This is my first World Championships gold medal and it is impressive for me!” United States’ Natalia Grossman and Italy’s Laura Rogora, who already placed tied in the semi-final, both followed Seo with the score of 37. The World Championships silver medal was then awarded to Grossman according to her lower climbing time, while Rogora placed third and won bronze. COMPUTED COMBINED RANKINGS RESULTS The men’s computed Combined ranking of Moscow 2021 finished with two German climbers at the top two positions: Yannick Flohé placed first with 9.0, while Philipp Martin took second place with 48.0. The bronze medal went to Ukraine’s Fedir Samoilov with 60.0 points. Austria’s Jessy Pilz placed first in the women’s computed Combined ranking with 20.0 points, preceding Slovenia’s Mia Krampl – second with 36.0 – and Elnaz Rekabi of Iran – third with 42.0. MEDAL TABLE 1. United States of America: one gold, one silver, one bronze; 2. Japan: one gold, one silver; 3. Poland: one gold, one bronze; 4. Austria: one gold; 4. South Korea: one gold; 4. Ukraine: one gold; 7. Italy: one silver, one bronze; 8. CFR: one silver; 8. Slovenia: one silver; 8. Spain: one silver; 11. France: one bronze; 11. Great Britain: one bronze; 11. Serbia: one bronze.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Torino (September 20, 2021):-The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) and the Korean Alpine Federation announced that the IFSC Boulder and Speed World Cup scheduled in Seoul, South Korea, from 1 to 3 October 2021, has been cancelled. The decision comes as a consequence of the latest restrictions applied in the country to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup taking place in Los Angeles, USA, on 9 and 10 October is confirmed.