Sports Bulletin Report
Chamonix (France): The IFSC World Cup 2023 series rolls on to the foot of Mont-Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, for another round of Lead and Speed Climbing for the IFSC World Cup Chamonix from 7 to 9 July.
Making the short trip across the border from Villars, Switzerland, to the French mountain town, over 300 climbers in the two Climbing disciplines will once again battle it out for podium spots.
Long Jianguo took his second successive Villars gold medal in Speed, and the Chinese climber is hoping to transfer a little of that Swiss magic into another podium performance the other side of the border.
Defending Chamonix champion Long Jinbao will be pushing his teammate, as well as last week’s silver medallist Zhang Liang. With a strong squad you wouldn’t bet against another men’s Chinese medal.
Expect fireworks in the men’s Speed when you also throw in USA’s Samuel Watson, Spain’s Erik Noya Cardona, Japan’s first ever men's Speed medallist from Villars Omasa Ryo and a few home nation athletes like Bassa Mawem to get the crowd going.
On the women’s side, Poland’s Natalia Kalucka took her first ever World Cup gold last week, and a short time before that, gold at the European Games beating teammate and world record holder Aleksandra Miroslaw. Is a trio of golds on for Kalucka or can she be stopped?
