UKC

IFSC European Lead and Speed Championships Edinburgh - Report

© Final Crux Films

The 2019 European Lead and Speed Climbing Championships took place at Edinburgh International Climbing Arena in Ratho last weekend. GB Climbing Team members put on some strong performances in front of a home crowd, with five athletes making Lead semi-finals and Jim Pope making his first ever senior IFSC final and finishing 6th. Jen Wood won bronze in the European Combined Championships rankings due to her Boulder result in Zakopane and her Lead and Speed rankings in Edinburgh. The events were livestreamed on Eurosport and BMC TV

Jim Pope placed 6th in the men's Lead event.  © Final Crux Films
Jim Pope placed 6th in the men's Lead event.
© Final Crux Films

In the semi-final round, Will Bosi narrowly missed out on finals in 9th place, Molly Thompson-Smith finished 12th, Hamish McArthur 15th and Dave Barrans 18th.

Although the field was diminished slightly as a result of a very busy 2019 competition circuit ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, some big names and World Cup winners including Adam Ondra (CZE), Jakob Schubert (AUT), Jessy Pilz (AUT) and Anak Verhoeven (BEL) were vying for the title of European Champion.

The final routes featured mirrored jumps about one-third of the way up the wall, which made for an exciting albeit nerve-wracking round for spectators and finalists alike. Jim Pope climbed confidently through a powerful compression section low down on the route, before setting himself up for the dyno. A foot slip while getting into position to launch sideways ended Jim's climb, but ultimately placed him ahead of future Olympian Jakob Schubert (AUT) and Luca Potokar (SLO). Young Spanish rising star Alberto Gínes López caught the dyno and continued through the steep section to fall just below the roof - not without his trademark bent-arm battle before falling. Villars World Cup winner Sascha Lehmann (SUI) also landed the jump - despite his small stature - and fell just below Alberto's highpoint. Only one climber remained: Adam Ondra (CZE).

Adam Ondra asks for more energy from the crowd during his winning final climb.  © Final Crux Films
Adam Ondra asks for more energy from the crowd during his winning final climb.
© Final Crux Films

Having signed autographs on chalkbags and t-shirts for most of the weekend, there were concerns that the pressure might get to Adam in the final, but true to form and while still seemingly on a high after winning the IFSC World Cup in Kranj the previous weekend he didn't fail to impress. With the jump in the bag, Adam stormed through the headwall to reach the roof and take the lead with a few moves to spare. No top for Adam, but a second gold medal in the space of a week ahead of the Olympic Selection Event in Toulouse – with a Speed World Cup in China to secure a place beforehand – certainly seemed to put him in a good mood after failing to earn an Olympic spot in Hachioji this summer. Alberto and Sascha placed 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Men's Lead podium: Gínes López, Ondra and Lehmann.   © Final Crux Films
Men's Lead podium: Gínes López, Ondra and Lehmann.
© Final Crux Films

In the women's event, up-and-coming 15-year-old French climber Luce Douady stunned the crowd with an early and very high highpoint of 43, falling on the lip of the roof just a few moves short of the top. Was the level too easy? Future Olympian Jessy Pilz (AUT) looked set to surpass Luce's score, but fell one move below in a tricky inverted sequence. An awkward mantel just before the dyno ate away at the climbing time for most of the women, but all athletes made it through the move. Lucka Rakovec (SLO), who placed 3rd in Kranj the previous weekend, maintained her form and fell on the last move to take a provisional lead. 19-year-old double Youth World Champion Laura Rogora (ITA) skilfully negotiated the reachy mantel and the dyno to reach just below Lucka's score.

Luce Douady sets an early highpoint to win her second senior IFSC medal.   © Final Crux Films
Luce Douady sets an early highpoint to win her second senior IFSC medal.
© Final Crux Films

Making a return to the IFSC circuit was Anak Verhoeven (BEL), one of the most consistent finalists and podiumists until a chronic elbow injury caused her to take time off to recover last season. After a 4th place in Kranj and having qualified in 1st place for the finals of this competition, spectators' expectations of Anak were high. A few hesitant attempts at the dyno cost Anak some time and energy, which ultimately led to her missing the hold to place 8th. Lucka Rakovec (SLO) was crowned European Champion after maintaining her impressive lead over the women who had qualified ahead of her, with Laura and Luce completing the podium. Ths was Laura's first senior IFSC medal, and Luce's second after her win at the European Cup (Boulder) in Innsbruck this year.

Women's Lead podium: Rogora, Rakovec and Douady.  © Final Crux Films
Women's Lead podium: Rogora, Rakovec and Douady.
© Final Crux Films

In the Speed event, Tokyo ticket-holder Aleksandra Miroslaw (POL) added a European Championship title to her World Champion and overall World Cup titles for the first time ahead of Mariia Krasavina (RUS) and Anouck Jaubert (FRA), while Vladislav Deulin (RUS) took gold ahead of Danyil Boldyrev (UKR) and Dmitrii Timofeev (RUS).

On her 3rd place in the Combined rankings, Jen Wood told UKC:

'I always love competing in Ratho in front of a home crowd. I had a good start with a PB in speed, it wasn't the speediest but after sub-optimal prep I was pretty psyched to be able to pull out a decent run. With lead I wasn't quite where I wanted to be with my fitness, as it feels like the boulder season has only just finished! I was psyched to put in a good fight on the first route, but unfortunately fumbled a move low on the second which cost me a spot in semis. I went to the comp with very process-orientated goals as I had little expectation of results. It was such a nice surprise to find out that my results, when combined with my rank in Poland, were enough for a bronze medal in combined.'

Jen Wood on her way to a bronze medal in the European Combined rankings.  © Final Crux Films
Jen Wood on her way to a bronze medal in the European Combined rankings.
© Final Crux Films

The European Boulder Championships in Zakopane, Poland last month was also a successful event for the GB Team, with Billy Ridal making his first senior international final and finishing 4th and three other Brits making semi-finals: Nathan Phillips (10th), Natalie Berry (11th) and Tara Hayes (12th). Urška Repusič (SLO) won the women's event and Mickaël Mawem (FRA) was crowned men's champion.

European Championship (L,S) - Edinburgh (GBR) 2019

Results

MEN lead

#NameNationFinalSemi
Final
1Adam OndraCZE45+38+
2Alberto Ginés LópezESP38+35+
3Sascha LehmannSUI34+35+
4Martin BergantSLO34+34+
5Nimrod MarcusISR28+35+
6Jim PopeGBR23+35
7Jakob SchubertAUT23 35+
8Luka PotocarSLO19 35+
9Will BosiGBR33+
10Fedir SamoilovUKR31+
11Martin StranikCZE29+
12Mathias PoschAUT29+
13Dmitrii FakirianovRUS27
14Davide Marco ColomboITA27
15Hamish McArthurGBR26+
16Yannick FlohéGER26
17Sebastian HalenkeGER26
18Dave BarransGBR26
19Alistair DuvalFRA23
20Nao MonchoisFRA18+
37Kieran ForrestGBRQual' 20   35.
Full results

WOMEN lead

#NameNationFinalSemi
Final
1Lucka RakovecSLO46+39
2Laura RogoraITA45+39+
3Luce DouadyFRA43 38+
4Mina MarkovicSLO42+43+
5Jessica PilzAUT42 38+
6Tina Johnsen HafsaasNOR39 40+
7Tjasa KalanSLO22+40+
8Anak VerhoevenBEL21+46
9Camille PougetFRA38
10Anne-Sophie KollerSUI38
11Mia KramplSLO37+
12Molly Thompson-SmithGBR37+
13Nika PotapovaUKR37
14Nolwenn ArcFRA36+
14Michelle HulligerSUI36+
16Katherine ChoongSUI36+
17Vanda MichalkovaSVK36
18Lynn van der MeerNED35+
19Nina ArthaudFRA35+
20Julia FiserAUT35
28Jennifer WoodGBRQual' 12+  32.
32Joanna NeameGBRQual' 21   25.
Full results

MEN speed

#NameNationFinalSmall
final
1/2
Final
1/4
Final
1/8
Final
1Vladislav DeulinRUS5.9005.6635.7095.977
2Danyil BoldyrevUKR6.8806.9775.8786.066
3Dmitrii TimofeevRUS5.8306.2135.7065.970
4Jan KrizCZE6.2257.8426.4336.241
5Ludovico FossaliITA5.9186.074
6Kostiantyn PavlenkoUKR6.0266.074
7Sergei RukinRUS6.0397.045
8Lev RudatskiyRUS6.5445.777
9Aleksandr ShilovRUS6.230
10Iaroslav PashkovRUS6.316
11Almaz NagaevRUS6.344
12Guillaume MoroFRA6.371
13Lukas KnappAUT6.443
14Yaroslav TkachUKR6.457
15Alessandro CingariITA7.372
16Marcin DzienskiPOL7.572
17Alessandro SantoniITA
18Tobias PlanggerAUT
19Gian Luca ZoddaITA
20Alessandro BoulosITA
31Will BosiGBRQual'
Full results

WOMEN speed

#NameNationFinalSmall
final
1/2
Final
1/4
Final
1/8
Final
1Aleksandra MirosławPOL7.3387.2327.3357.819
2Mariia KrasavinaRUS8.0427.4597.6607.875
3Anouck JaubertFRA7.6357.6028.0858.262
4Aleksandra KaluckaPOL7.7697.6608.0608.085
5Elena RemizovaRUS7.9938.311
6Patrycja ChudziakPOL8.1528.313
7Capucine ViglioneFRA9.4968.514
8Iuliia KaplinaRUSfalse sta8.284
9Anna CalancaITA8.682
10Ekaterina BarashchukRUS8.708
11Alexandra ElmerAUT8.831
12Anna BrozekPOL9.090
13Natalia KaluckaPOL9.190
14Tetiana KolkotinaUKR9.343
15Elizaveta IvanovaRUS9.835
16Aurelia SarissonFRA12.144
17Kseniia PetrovaRUS
18Francesca VasiITA
19Jennifer WoodGBR
20Nika PotapovaUKR
Full results


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