The 2024 British Bouldering Championships took place last weekend at Last Sun Dance in Leeds. Zoë Peetermans and Sam Butterworth claimed their first British Boulder Champion titles.
© BMC/@coachnsettergav
The leader of the women's competition shifted between rounds, with Thea Cameron topping qualification and Louise Flockhart excelling in the semi-finals. Zoë Peetermans was consistent in second place across both rounds, but proved unbeatable in the final, completing three of the four boulders and achieving the only top of a tricky final paddle-dyno boulder to secure the win.
Thea finished second on two tops and three zones, with Louise Flockhart close behind in third for the second consecutive year also scoring two tops and three zones, separated by just one attempt. A powerful roof Boulder was decisive for the podium finishers, involving either a feet-first move or a beta break before a shoulder-twisting finish. Zoë, Thea and Louise fought hard to flash the boulder and 4th place finisher Ember Mulhearn also managed a gutsy flash in her first senior BBC final. Fellow first-time senior finalists Edie Carr and Izzy Bridgens completed the top-six.
Leeds local Zoë achieved her goal of winning after finishing 4th in 2022. Zoë adds this title to her British Lead Climbing Championships win in 2021.
In the men's event, Luca Martins led qualification before another Leeds local, Sam Butterworth, topped the semi-final round ahead of Aiden Dunne and Elias Bignold. The top three men from the semis would be unchanged by the end of the final round. Sam and Aiden achieved the only tops of B1 - involving a sideways dyno and shouldery finish - and B2, a powerful and wandering crimpy traverse.
Five athletes topped B3 on volumes - with four flashes - but an awkward final Boulder proved too tough for the men, with only Sam Butterworth reaching the crucial Zone to take the title. He finished ahead of Aiden - who improved on his 4th place result last year - and Elias in 2nd and 3rd place respectively. Luca Martins finished 4th, Joe Xiberras 5th and Louis Parkinson 6th.
© BMC/@coachnsettergav
Former British Bouldering Champion Dave Barrans led the route setting team.
Watch the replay below:
Comments
Am I missing something, or has the 3 day old thread giving the heads up and the links been deleted?
I watched the finals in bits over the last 3 days, I was immensely entertained both by the climbers on the very well set problems and by the excellent commentating duo, so I just wanted to reply to that thread and say thanks.