Sports Bulletin Report
Villars (Switzerland):-The 2022 International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Paraclimbing World Cup came to a close in Villars, Switzerland, with 17 nations taking home medals.
France excelled claiming seven of the 45 on offer from the 15 sports classes competing in the Swiss village. Germany helped themselves to three golds after a quick start from Great Britain who took two from two at the start of the finals. There were also golds for Austria, Japan, the Netherlands, Romania, and the USA.
ROUND ONE TO THE BRITS
In the first finals of the day, three-time world champion Abigail Robinson of Great Britain again proved her gold medal winning prowess securing another top spot in the World Cup.
But it wasn’t just the win that pleased Robinson about the Villars final: “I feel amazing. That route was really cool. In the past I’ve been a bit dissatisfied when the route isn’t super hard but that one was really creative and really my style. It was really challenging and I felt like I put in a fight.”
Robinson scored a 60+ on the “cool” route after silver medallist Edith Scheinecker of Germany had laid down the marker of 45. Nadia Bredice of Italy completed the podium with a 21+ climb.
SLOCOCK CONTINUES BRITISH GOLD RUSH
There was another British win shortly after Robinson as teammate Richard Slocock edged out his two Spanish rivals. It was a tight affair though with just 2+ separating all three climbers. Slocock reached 30+ after Raul Simon Franco had scored 29 and compatriot Guillermo Pelegrín Gómez scored 28.
ROMANIA’S CANDOI SPOILS BRITISH PARTY
In Villars Cosmin Florin Candoi of Romania only does tops. He topped twice in qualification and added another in the finals, but the gold wasn’t assured.
Lux Losey Sail of Great Britain began the B3 final with a top of his own and the medals came down to time with the Romanian world champion quicker in the end. Canada’s Chaz Misuraca scored 33+ to take the bronze medal.
AITA SHO SECURES FIRST GOLD FOR JAPAN
World Cup. World Masters. World Championships. It doesn’t matter for Japan’s Aita Sho, he wants the top spot on the podium, and he has got another one.
Aita couldn’t quite reach the heights of qualification where he secured two tops, but a 47 was enough to beat Francisco Javier Aguilar Amoedo of Spain and Razvan Nedu of Romania who finished with a 39 and 36 respectively.
THE TIGHTEST OF ALL FINALS FOR WOMEN’S B3
In the final visually impaired sport class of the session you couldn’t have asked for a better finish. The four finalists all reached hold 45, but it was France’s Roxane Heili who managed the + move and bag herself a gold medal.
With the other finalist’s split by time, it was Ionela Grecu of Romania who took silver and Melissa Cesarone also of France taking bronze. Norway’s Iben Jongsvik Paulsen was the unlucky one who just missed out on a highly competitive podium.
DUTCHMAN SHOWS SKILLS FOR RP3 GOLD
With a streak of gold in Salt Lake City, USA, and bronze in Innsbruck, Austria, for the 2022 Paraclimbing World Cup’s, Jamie Barendrecht of the Netherland’s once again stood on the podium adding a Villars gold.
Taking some time to fine tune his climbing, the training obviously paid off for the Dutchman.
Andrej Haršány of Slovakia claimed the silver in the RP3 with Bastien Thomas of France taking bronze.
HOT STREAK CONTINUES FOR PLANK
With a streak of three golds from the last three Paraclimbing World Cup’s she has attended, Austria’s Jasmin Plank had some work to do in the RP1 final to keep the run going.
Both Plank and Melissa Ruiz of USA topped a route in qualification and the medal wouldn’t be any easy one to achieve. With the mark of 35+ laid down by Ruiz, it took a superb effort to reach 47+ and with it the gold medal to continue the streak for Plank. Spain’s Marta Peche Salinero beat her teammate Andrea Sánchez Aparicio to take the bronze medal.
MAYFORTH GETS USA OFF THE MARK
Benjamin Mayforth took gold for USA with a win in the men’s RP2. Coming out of qualifying in third position, Mayforth upped his game to move to the top spot ahead of Mor Michael Sapir of Israel in silver and Manikandan Kumar of India in bronze.
SCHAUPERT CLIMBS FINAL STEP
Germany’s Rosalie Schaupert has been climbing not only the competition wall but the Paraclimbing World Cup podium throughout 2022. With a bronze in Salt Lake City and silver in Innsbruck, the only way to go was up. And the German climber did it in Villars.
Her 62+ was enough for gold as Leanora Volpe of Britain scored 54+ for silver and Christiane Luttikhuizen of the Netherlands took bronze with 53+.
FRANCK KEEPS UP GOLD MEDAL WINNING WAYS
There was another golden streak that needed maintaining in Villars, and Korbinian Franck of Germany duly obliged. With two from two 2022 World Cup gold medals in the bag, it wasn’t long before the record books read three from three.
Franck was joined on the podium by compatriot Tim Schaffrinna who took bronze with Gian Matteo Ramini of Italy splitting the two in the silver medal position.
NO STOPPING JARRIGE’S GOLDEN RUN
There are very few times that Lucie Jarrige of France enters a competition and doesn’t win, and Villars was no different. The four-time world champion was a cut above her rivals topping the final climb to secure yet another gold medal to add to the ever-growing collection.
Australian Sarah Larcombe was one of those athletes separated from Jarrige in silver with American Hannah McFadden in bronze.
FRENCH GOLD GREETS FRENCH GOLD
As Julien Gasc of France untied after reaching 41+ he was embraced by compatriot Jarrige who had just topped for gold in her class. It turned into a golden embrace as Gasc had also secured his country another gold medal.
Frederik Leys of Belgium was behind Gasc taking silver with 32 with the Spanish pair of Albert Guardia Ferrer and Iván Germán Pascual separated by time for bronze. It was Guardia Ferrer who took the honours after reaching 30 quicker than his teammate.
FRANCE KEEPS ON ROLLING
Not to be outdone by her teammates, Solenne Piret of France followed up two quick golds with a third topping the women’s AU2.
Lucia Capovilla of Italy couldn’t match the effort but took silver from Giovanna Dubuc of USA reaching 37+ compared to the American’s 16+.
BARTKE PUTS HALT TO FRENCH CHARGE
Germany’s Kevin Bartke finally stopped the French gold rush by reaching 62+ in the final of the men’s AU2. Bartke was on top of the podium at the last Paraclimbing World Cup in Innsbruck and again takes the top step in Villars.
Isak Ripman of Norway reached 49+ to take the silver ahead of another French finalist, Erwan Lievin. Lievin reached 33+ for his bronze.
AUSTRIAN PODIUM LOCK-OUT DRAWS 2022 WORLD CUP TO A CLOSE
With three Austrians in the final, a gold for the country was never in doubt. What had to be sorted was team bragging rights. With the very final climb of the 2022 Paraclimbing World Cup season, Angelino Zeller took the honours with a 51 climb.
Markus Pösendorfer took home the silver with a 33 and Daniel Kontsch completed the Austrian podium with 26+, and with it drawing the season to a close.
MEDAL TABLE
1. France: 4 gold, 3 bronze;
2. Germany: 3 gold, 1 bronze;
3. Austria: 2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze;
4. Great Britain: 2 gold, 2 silver;
5. USA: 1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze;
6. Romania: 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze;
7. Netherlands: 1 gold, 1 bronze;
8. Japan: 1 gold;
9. Spain: 2 silver, 3 bronze;
10. Italy: 2 silver, 1 bronze;
11. Australia: 1 silver;
11. Belgium: 1 silver;
11. Israel: 1 silver;
11. Norway: 1 silver;
11. Slovakia: 1 silver;
16. Canada: 1 bronze;
16. India: 1 bronze.
