Sports Bulletin

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: As many as 3 male and 2 female players will participate in the Wall Climbing fixture of the 19th Asian Games 2023, as the upcoming event was initially planned for the previous year 2022 in Hangzhou, China but had to be rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the same city.President, Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) Abu Zafar Sadiq told this reporter that all players would visit China on their own outlays. Abu Zar Faiz, Zaheer Ahmed, and Fazal Wadood will compete in different two disciplines of climbing. Iqra Jillani, and Eman Janat will also represent Pakistan in the regional mini-Olympics Games while Rehmatullah and Najeeb Khan will accompany the players as officials.   

Sports Bulletin ReportSeoul (South Korea): The first medals of the IFSC Climbing Youth World Championships being held in Seoul, South Korea, were handed out with Japan staking their claim for top nation early. At the Seoul Mountain Climbing & Culture Center, Japan secured seven medals – five in the Under 16 Lead category and two in the Under 18.  In the first finals of the 2023 competition, the Under 16 climbers took to the wall to start the medal rush for the Land of the Rising Sun, including a podium lockout in the men’s and a one-two in the women’s.The men’s final went to form with the top eight in semi-finals left unchanged in the final results. It meant Hamada Ryusei claimed gold with the only top of the final. Second to fifth position all fell reaching for that top hold that Hamada made.Nagamori Hareru and Toda Ryota of Japan, Jan Stipek of the Czech Republic and Luca Nundel of Germany all tied so countback to the semi-finals counted. It meant Nagamori got silver and Toda bronze with Stipek in fourth and Nundel fifth.On 34+, Oda was two moves ahead of teammate Mugishima Kohana who took silver, and ten ahead of Spain’s Geila Macia Martin who spoiled the Under 16 Japanese podium party.Macia Martin just edged out Austria’s Flora Oblasser by an attempt at hold 24. Ukraine’s Rafael Kazbekova was fifth ahead of Spain’s Julia Benach Zubero in sixth. Completing the final positions was Yamane Kaho of Japan in seventh and Analise Van Hoang of the USA in eighth. Moving onto the Under 18’s, it was third time lucky for France’s Meije Lerondel. Having twice taken Youth Worlds Lead silver in 2021 and 2022, the 2023 edition was finally time for her to stand on the top step of the women’s podium.Reaching hold 26+, Lerondel had an agonising wait for six more athletes to make their attempts at overhauling her. No one could.The closest to the newly crowned champion’s score was South Korea’s Kim Chaeyeong who was just a plus move behind, unable to use the noise of the crowd to gain that vital move. Kim still secured silver though ahead of Japan’s Mochizuki Moka who took bronze.Fourth place went to another Japanese climber, Yama Manami who was ahead of fifth placed Sarina Ghaffari from Iran and sixth placed Jennifer Eucharia Buckley from Spain. 

Sports Bulletin ReportBern (Switzerland): Mori Ai became the first Japanese climber to win a Lead World Championships title in the World Championship that concluded in Bern the capital city of Switzerland.WOMEN’S LEADMori Ai becomes the first Japanese climber to win a Lead World Championships title – man or womanSlovenia’s Janja Garnbret wins silver, her ninth World Championships medal in totalBoth Mori and Garnbret top the route, so the better semi-final performance hands Mori the winThe 2021 champion Seo Chaehyun (KOR) takes bronze4th – Mia Krampl (SLO), 5th – Brooke Raboutou (USA), 6th – Jessica Pilz (AUT), 7th – Laura Rogora (ITA), 8th – Nonaka Miho (JPN), 9th – Molly Thompson-Smith (GBR)Nine finalists, usually eight, as a tie for eighth in semi-finals put an extra climber throughMEN’S LEADAustria’s Jakob Schubert defends his Lead world title – his fourth in total, a record for menSchubert’s tenth World Championships gold in total and is the oldest world champion, man or womanAnraku Sorato (JPN) wins a silver medal on his senior debutAlexander Megos wins his third World Championships medal claiming bronze4th – Lee Dohyun (KOR), 5th – Yurikusa Ao (JPN), 6th - Paul Jenft (FRA), 7th – Sean Bailey (USA), 8th – Adam Ondra (CZE), 9th – Toby Roberts (GBR), 10th – Song Yunchan (KOR)Ten finalists, usually eight, as a three way tie for the eighth position extended the finals start list Mori Ai (JPN) – women’s Lead World Champion“Before climbing I told myself to just enjoy it, so it was an exciting time. I knew maybe Janja got a top, so I knew I had too as well. I was nervous before, but now I’m happy.”Jakob Schubert (GER) - men’s Lead World Champion“This field is so crazy strong, I knew I had to have the climb of my life to win this world championship title again. I feel like the Lead field is stronger than ever. The emotions are crazy right now.“It means so much to challenge one of the craziest talents we have in the sport with Anraku Sorato. He is such an amazing climber and if I can teach him a thing or two it would make me so proud. Maybe I will tell my kids about it, I don’t have any now of course, but I can say I taught him a little bit and now he wins everything. You see also Toby [Roberts], super strong young climbers, coming out on top tonight ahead of them means so much to me. “After being on the circuit for so long you know even better how to live these moments, and I’m living it right now. Winning in this arena is something you never forget.”

Sports Bulletin ReportTorino (Italy): The IFSC and Warner Bros. Discovery announced that the Olympian and IFSC Athlete’s Commission President Shauna Coxsey MBE will be part of the commentary line-up for the upcoming IFSC Climbing World Championships live on Eurosport and discovery+.With just under one year to go to the start of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, where Sport Climbing will be making its second appearance, Coxsey will add her unique Olympic insight commentating on the IFSC Climbing World Championships from 1-12 August – a key event on the road to Paris 2024.Coxsey will shadow the aspiring Olympians journey beginning with the premier event in Bern, Switzerland, through to the European qualifier in Laval, France, in October. In addition to separate Boulder, Lead and Speed competitions in Bern, climbers will also compete in a new Boulder & Lead (B&L) format that will be used at next year’s Olympic Games. In total, ten Paris 2024 qualification berths will be up for grabs in the Swiss capital – six in Boulder & Lead, four in Speed.Coxsey will join long-time IFSC commentator Matt Groom in the broadcast booth.“It is an honour and a privilege to be commentating on the climbers’ Olympic journey with Eurosport and the IFSC,” said Coxsey, whose previous IFSC broadcasting work was warmly received by the Climbing community. “The IFSC World Championships Bern 2023 is perfectly poised with a host of exciting new faces alongside the established names clicking into form, so I cannot wait to get behind the microphone with Matt Groom to commentate on who gets the first tickets to Paris 2024. “As an Olympian, I know how much these next 12 months will mean to the athletes, so I am looking forward to providing insights as the climbers battle it out against the wall for an Olympic place.”Great Britain’s most decorated Sport Climber, Coxsey is no stranger to IFSC events, having won the 2016 and 2017 Boulder World Cup seasons following back-to-back silver medals in 2014 and 2015. She retired in 2021 after realising her childhood dream of competing at the Olympic Games, which she did at Tokyo 2020, finishing 10th in the combined Lead, Boulder and Speed competition used for the sport’s Olympic debut.“Shauna’s knowledge, skills, and expertise will be of invaluable assistance to our viewers during the broadcasts,” said IFSC President Marco Scolaris. “Her appointment will provide fans with the deep insights of an expert climber and the inspirational, behind-the-scenes stories of an Olympian who accomplished everything she set out to in our sport.”Coxsey is also scheduled to provide commentary at the IFSC European Qualifier in Boulder & Lead in Laval, France, from 27-29 October. 

A qualification event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on November 24 to 26, 2023Sports Bulletin ReportMelbourne (Australia): Melbourne will host the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Oceania Qualifier 2023, a qualification event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, from 24 – 26 November this year.Located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Urban Climb Blackburn will welcome climbers from the Oceania region in the Speed and Boulder & Lead disciplines for both men and women with Olympic qualification at stake.There will be four Paris 2024 spots available including, one men’s Speed, one women’s Speed, one men’s Boulder & Lead and one women’s Boulder & Lead.As an important qualifier, Melbourne was chosen as the ideal spot to host the event with its rich Olympic history as the first hosts of an Olympic Games staged in the Southern hemisphere in 1956.IFSC President Marco Scolaris said: “Melbourne is a perfect city to host such an important event for the region and on the road to Paris. It will be the second time that Australia has been part of our Olympic journey, and in cities with great historic links to the Games.“From the first Oceania qualifier for Tokyo 2020 in Sydney, and now Melbourne for Paris 2024, Australia has been with us every step of our Olympic journey so far. I look forward to an exciting event with our friends at Sport Climbing Australia and welcoming more athlete’s that will join us at our second Olympic competition.”

Sports Bulletin ReportChamonix (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?

Sports Bulletin ReportVillars (Switzerland):-The third and final IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup of the 2023 season will take place in Villars, Switzerland, from 23 to 24 June with 155 athletes from 21 nations aiming for a place on the podium.IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup Villars will pit athletes ranging from physical and visual impairments to range and power impairments against each other either looking to defend medals, go for a series clean sweep or take some new golden confidence forward into the summer showpiece.One women looking for a clean sweep in the AL2 in 2023 is world champion Lucie Jarrige of France who has once again been showing her class taking two golds in the two competitions, but hot on her heels is Australia’s Sarah Larcombe.Larcombe said: “Based on my results so far, my 2023 season is going pretty well. Two World Cups down, two silver medals. I haven’t always been super happy with my climbing so far this season despite good overall results, but I’m learning a lot and I’m taking away a lot to work on.”Despite sporting rivalries, climbing also has the sense of community and respect between the competitors: “I have a great friend and role model in Lucie Jarrige,” said Larcombe, “and it’s always fun trying to keep up with her. The routesetters this year are also clearly challenging us to step up our game, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”“Every comp my aim is to climb my hardest, be as present as possible, and have fun on the wall. This season I don’t think I’ve really been able to show the best of my climbing yet, so that’s one thing I hope I can do better in Villars. 

Sports Bulletin ReportInnsbruck (Austria):- Slovenia’s lady Janja Garnbret lifted gold to do the Boulder and Lead double in Kletterzentrum Innsbruck, Austria in the FISC World Climbing Series. Six nations represented in eight climber women’s Lead final; two Slovenian, two USA, one Japanese, one South Korean, one French and one Austrian.Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret took gold to do the Boulder and Lead double in Innsbruck, who repeated the feat of 2021 when she also won Boulder and Lead gold at the IFSC World Cup Innsbruck. Mori Ai from Japan settled with silver medal. Home crowd pleased as Austrian Jessica Pilz won bronze, first World Cup medal since taking Lead silver in Kranj, Slovenia in 2019.Meanwhile, in the men’s competitions, 9 men contested Lead final due to a tie for eighth in semi-finals. Six nations represented with four climbers from Japan, one from Germany, one from Spain, one from Switzerland, one from France and one from Austria. Sascha Lehmann from Switzerland got gold by reaching hold 44+ while Both Lehmann and Germany’s Alexander Megos reach hold 44+ with semifinal result separating the two rivals.Janja Garnbret (SLO) - women's Lead gold medallist"I loved the route. It was incredible. Even during the observation I knew it was hard, but this is what we like. We like to show how we fight and what we train for, so this is exactly what we got and I enjoyed every minute of it."I’m incredibly grateful to win both the Boulder and Lead, even more grateful because I’m coming back from injury. I’ve never had an injury before so I had no experience or expectations and it’s even more amazing coming back because there were a lot of doubts, crying and just a lot of negative thoughts, so coming back on top I’m incredibly grateful."Jessica Pilz (AUT) - women's Lead bronze medallist"It was super nice to climb at home here. The crowd was amazing. I wasn’t too happy with my climbing, it was tough to stick the move and I wasn’t satisfied when I fell. I thought for sure the others would beat me, so it was a nice surprise for sure to be back on the podium, it’s definitely been a while."It’s great to be on the podium at home, it definitely means more than anywhere else. It feels really good."Sascha Lehmann (SUI) - men's Lead gold medallist"I knew I could climb well and I am a strong climber, but it’s a packed field, we saw that in Boulder with so many young athletes coming in. My Boulder season didn’t go that well so I hoped I could do better in Lead. I worked hard at Lead, but I wasn’t sure where I was at. I know I can perform on the big stage, and I did, so it feels amazing. "You always do a move and think it feels good in the warm-up, and the atmosphere here is great, but in the end when you go out to the route it’s not thinking anymore, it’s just climbing. Do your thing, stay calm, do the moves and perform well." Alexander Megos (GER) - men's Lead silver medallist"I knew I climbed well, but I didn't expected to be on the podium tonight. I think what was remarkable in this competition is that between the first and ninth climber there were only four moves, and nobody made a big mistake. In my mind, if I win a medal it's because I climbed better than the others, not because somebody else made a mistake, so I'm happy to cheer for all the other climbers once I'm done."The next generation is coming, and it's coming fast. Sorato is 16 and he did three rounds in Boulder, then three rounds in Lead, and he doesn't seem to be tired at all. His climbing style is crazy, I'm sure he will win many more medals in the future."Jakob Schubert (AUT) - men's Lead bronze medallist"Obviously it feels amazing having a podium, and having it here in Innsbruck. It's a great start for the Lead season, but also for myself. This one's always a very special World Cup, there is more pressure for sure, more nervousness than any other event, but it's also way more rewarding."Experience can still play an important role, especially in Lead, and I believe we, the old guys, can still compete with the young guns."

Sports Bulletin ReportInnsbruck (Austria):-The sixth and last Boulder competition of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup Series 2023 concluded at the Kletterzentrum in Innsbruck, Austria.Earning himself the headline of the night was Japanese rising start Anraku Sorato, who, at 16 years old, was able to pocket both his first World Cup gold medal, and the men’s Boulder 2023 title.Sorato, who previously won silver at this year’s IFSC World Cup in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, climbed atop the podium with a performance made of three tops and three zones, but also being very close solve problem number three – a creative slab featuring a run-start and a 180° spin.Following in silver-medal position was Japan’s Narasaki Meichi – younger brother of Olympian and multiple-medal winner Tomoa. Differently from Anraku, Narasaki managed to solve the slab – securing the top with only a couple of seconds left on the clock – but scored zero on boulder number two, eventually finishing with three tops, three zones, and four attempts to top more than his teammate.Making his first appearance in a World Cup final round, Sam Avezou of France put the icing on his cake by winning bronze with two tops and two zones. South Korea’s Chon Jongwon barely missed the podium, finishing in fourth position with two tops, two zones, and a higher number of attempts than Avezou.Coming from first and fourth places in the semi-final round, respectively, Belgium’s Simon Lorenzi and Nicolas Collin closed in the bottom two positions. Collin concluded fifth with two tops and two zones, while Lorenzi took sixth place with no score on the board.Making his night even more memorable, Anraku Sorato was also awarded with the men’s Boulder season trophy, having surpassed South Korea’s Lee Dohyun with the 1,000 points he took in Innsbruck. Lee eventually placed second, and Narasaki Tomoa followed in third place.

Sports Bulletin ReportInnsbruck (Austria):-Raboutou led stellar lineup into Women’s Boulder Final of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup Innsbruck 2023 closed with the women’s Boulder semi-final round, selecting the top six athletes advancing into night’s final.Signing off with a fantastic four-tops performance was Tokyo 2020 Olympian Brooke Raboutou, of the USA, who was the only climber able to top all four boulders in the round, despite a consistent number of attempts.Raboutou – who podiumed at the three previous World Cups she participated in in 2023, collecting one gold and two bronzes – was joined by her friend and teammate Natalia Grossman – current leader of the women’s Boulder World Cup ranking, and winner of the season trophy in 2021 and 2022.“Semi-final was hard. It felt a bit weird doing qualification in the morning and then semi-final in the evening, especially as we competed a few days ago,” she said, after finishing fifth with three tops and four zones. “Mentally I’m trying to allow myself breaks because it is tiring just being in competition mood for a week. It doesn’t need to be long breaks, even just between qualifiers and semis I tried not to think about climbing at all and try to disconnect a little, I guess.”Just ahead of Grossman placed current Olympic Champion Janja Garnbret, who beat the buzzer on problem number three, and was only able to secure the zone on the fourth one – the slab.“I enjoyed it a lot, especially beating the buzzer on the second boulder which was so nice. I don’t think I’ve ever had that in my entire life. I had less than 30 seconds probably and I thought about heading back in, but then I just thought to myself ‘let’s give it a go’, and luckily it worked out for me,” said Garnbret.“I’m just so excited to be back. I had around eight months out, and my first competition back was in Prague, I’m still trying to get my competition flow, so I’m just enjoying things at the moment. I still don’t feel completely comfortable on slabs because I couldn’t do them in the past months, so I’m still trying to find the balance and feeling again.”Second and third place in the round were taken by Japanese duo Ito Futaba and Nonaka Miho, respectively, both with the same score as Grossman and Garnbret – three tops and four zones – but lower numbers of attempts to top.Ito said: “It was good. The boulders were so fun. I feel good now and I’m really enjoying the boulders here. I’m excited for the final and I hope I can get a medal, but everyone in the final is really strong so it’s not going to be easy.”