The 2023 British Lead Climbing Championships took place last weekend at Ratho, Edinburgh, with some familiar faces on the podium, and plenty of new ones too.
In the women's category, it was last year's winner Erin McNeice who took the top spot, with second place going to Zoë Peetermans in a repeat of last year's top two. Rounding out the podium this year was Thea Cameron, who narrowly missed out last year, coming in fourth place.
Both Erin and Zoë finished the final with identical scores of 47+ after falling on the penultimate move, a huge double dyno to what appeared to be decent holds. Having finished a move higher than Zoë in the semi-finals, Erin won the competition on countback.
Erin commented on instagram:
'British lead champion! It was a tough fight right near the end of the season, but I really enjoyed it and I'm happy to have been able to take the title'.
'Thanks to everyone who made the event happen, the route setters and to the athletes. It was extremely close, thank you for the fight!'
Whilst the women's competition produced some repeat medallists, the men's brought about an entirely new podium. Daniel Smith - tenth place last year - took the top spot, climbing quickly and efficiently through the lower sections, eventually slipping off a pinch just below the final overhang.
Sam Butterworth was able to match Daniel's high-point of hold 36, thereby claiming the silver medal position on countback, whilst Dylan Soin made the move from junior to senior competition look effortless, claiming the bronze in his first year of senior competition, having won the Male Youth A category last year.
Sharing news of his win on instagram, Daniel said:
'Senior British Lead Champion! What a weekend! After making it through Qualification and Semis comfortably, I managed to keep it together in the finals and win my first senior title'.
'I've put in so much work in over the summer on my weaknesses to get in shape for this comp and I'm so psyched to see it all pay off!'
Results
Senior Men
1. Daniel Smith
2. Samuel Butterworth
3. Dylan Soin
Senior Women
1. Erin McNeice
2. Zoë Peetermans
3. Thea Cameron
Female Veterans
1. April Welch
Male Veterans
1. Nigel Leeming
2. James Pollard
3. John Banyard
Full results here.
Watch the finals replay below:
Comments
The field seems disappointingly small i.e. 17 senior men and 14 senior women.
With all the kids you see in walls you'd think a few more would progress from the kids comp scene into the seniors. I'm probably in the minority in wanting the BMC to be supporting a thriving comp scene but I kinda see why some people are concerned that the BMC is being bankrupted for the benefit of a few dozen kids.
Leaving the politics aside (which has already been discussed at length) why aren't there 200 people vying to be British Lead Champion?
Cause Ratho is flipping miles away 😅
In a similar vein, why was the BLCCs organised to clash with a world cup? Surely it's in everyone's interest to allow the likes of Toby Roberts and Molly Thompson-Smith to at least consider competing in this, while also not missing any international opportunities?
Just seems to detract from a national comp when it clashes with internationals and our strongest climbers (quite rightly) choose to compete abroad.
Indeed. The IFSC could get together with a handful of the bigger federations to agree a weekend where there would be no international comps and national championships could take place. Cycling does this.
The French champions were away down in the Pyrenees and cost 260EUR to enter. Still had 85 entries to our 31.