The IFSC Climbing Worldcup riveted hundreds of people this weekend, as the world’s best competitive climbers fought for a spot in finals. The sixth, and final Bouldering World Cup brought competitors from various corners of the Earth to Colorado. So what happened? How are you heart palpitations? You might want to assess them before you keep reading.
Women’s Climbing Finals:
Janja Garnbret of Slovenia finished finals at the top, followed by Akiyo Noguchi and Fanny Gibert. Each competitor topped W1 with three or fewer attempts. W2 proved more difficult, leaving Gibert without a top. Noguchi and Gibert fought neck in neck for second place. Without a top on W3, Noguchi slipped behind Gibert.
The final wall proved most riveting. Noguchi was able to complete the problem in two attempts, ultimately claiming second place and momentarily swinging past Garnbret. In response to Noguchi’s admirable effort, Garnbret flashed the problem to claim first. And Gibert landed in third place.
The season’s wins reflect the competition’s wins. Garnbret claimed first, Noguchi claimed second and Gibert claimed third.
Men’s Climbing Finals:
Adam Ondra and Tomoa Narasaki were expected to fight to the death during finals. Both consistent and high ranking climbers, spectators expected the duo to run the show. But what ensued surprised us all.
Jan Hojer and Tomoa Narasaki flashed the first problem. While Ondra took two attempts to see the top. Each climber took M2 on without breaking a sweat.
M3 proved particularly difficult for most climbers, leaving both Sean Mccoll and Adam Ondra without the zone. These challenges bumped Mccoll down to sixth place and Ondra down to fifth. Narasaki was able to finish the problem. And Yoshiyuki Ogata was able to top out on M3, potentially ranking him at second place.
The final wall brought Ogata a flash, which secured first place. This left Narasaki second place. And Jongwon CHON topped the problem during his second attempt, winning him the bronze.
The overall 2019 climbing stats show Narasaki bringing the gold home. Ondra followed with silver and Ogata won the bronze.
But hold onto your horses. We’re not done yet. The lead-speed climbing begins in Switzerland from July 4-6, 2019.
