20 Slovenians in the Battle for Kranj Medals

20 Slovenians Led by Janja Garnbret in the Battle for Kranj Medals



This weekend, all roads lead to Kranj, which will be the venue for the 22nd final competition of the World Cup in sport climbing in lead on November 11 and 12. Among the 126 registered competitors from 22 countries, there will also be a 20-member Slovenian team led by Janja Garnbret, the overall winner in lead and combined for the second year in a row. With the excellent results of our national team this season and a rich accompanying program starting with a lecture by Adam Ondra, a true sport climbing spectacle is expected.



The 2017 Sport Climbing World Cup, organized by the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS) under the auspices of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), will traditionally conclude in the Zlato polje hall in Kranj. "There are 126 competitors from 22 countries registered, even more than last year. The start list includes 56 girls and 70 boys," revealed the head of the Kranj 2017 World Cup Tomo Česen, who presented the competition and schedule. On Saturday, November 11, men's qualifications start at 8 a.m., followed by women's qualifications at 1 p.m., and the semifinal will be the same evening at 8 p.m. Sunday, November 12, is reserved for the final starting at 4:45 p.m. "I count on strong support from the spectators. In the women's competition, we already have our winner in the overall standings in both lead and combined, and in the men's, we still have chances to win a medal in the overall standings. The Slovenian national team is represented by slightly more competitors at the home competition as always, and I hope this is sufficient reason for enough spectators to come to the hall and for the atmosphere to be right, as always," added Česen.



"This year too, we place special emphasis on the accompanying program because we want the World Cup competition in Kranj to be a true climbing festival. We start already on Thursday with a lecture by top climber Adam Ondra and a short presentation of good cooperation between Slovenia and the Czech Republic in the field of mountaineering and sport climbing. The rich all-day Saturday accompanying program will be dedicated to children or families. Both on Saturday before the semifinal and on Sunday before the final, it will be possible to watch top films from the Mountain Film Festival. A special invitation applies to Saturday's events, where there will also be a lot of top climbing. And don't forget to secure your tickets in time, because there is a high probability that this year's final competition will be sold out. See you in Kranj," invited the general secretary of PZS Matej Planko. Tickets are available at the headquarters of the Alpine Association of Slovenia in Ljubljana and at Eventim sales points throughout Slovenia and online, with a special discount for PZS members. If not sold out, purchase will also be possible at the entrance to the Zlato polje hall.



PROGRAM WC KRANJ 2017

Thursday, November 9

Cineplexx Kranj Saturday, November 11

Zlato polje, Kranj

Sunday, November 12

Zlato polje, Kranj

19:00

Adam Ondra Show

and presentation of Czech

sandstone climbing areas

(lecture will be in

English)



8:00 men's qualifications

9:00–16:00 creative workshops for children

13:00 women's qualifications

13:00–15:00 mini Olympics with Foksi

13:00–16:00 climbing challenge "strong fingers"

18:45 climbing film: Wide Cracks

20:00 women's and men's semifinal



16:00 short films: Slab, Boys in Bugaboos,

Wonderful Nature - Common Chameleon

16:45 presentation of finalists and route preview

16:55 official competition opening with acrobatic spectacle

17:00 men's final, followed by women's

(followed by medal ceremony)



In Kranj, an expanded 20-member Slovenian lineup will perform. "The team will be larger than at the other competitions this season, as it is right to offer opportunities to the other members of the national team who were either not selected for previous competitions or were specialists in other disciplines. Above all, it is important that our youngest get experience, on whom we count in the future," emphasized the selector of the Slovenian sport climbing national team Gorazd Hren. In front of the home audience, twelve girls will perform: Janja Garnbret, Mina Markovič, Tjaša Kalan, Katja Kadić, Veronika Meke, Kaja Skvarč Božič and juniors Vita Lukan, Mia Krampl, Urška Repušič, Lana Skušek, Tjaša Slemenšek and Lučka Rakovec, and eight boys: Domen Škofic, Jernej Kruder, Martin Bergant, Milan Preskar, Anže Peharc and juniors Zan Sudar, Luka Potočar and Klemen Novak.



As traditionally - and very pleasingly - Slovenian sport climbers are indispensable in the world top this year too. "I would like to give the final assessment after the competition in Kranj, but if I have to do it now, I can say that I am satisfied, but the desire remains for us to be even better as a team," said selector Hren and drew the line under this season: "Regarding Janja, we probably agree that it can hardly be better, as the overall standings in lead and combined are already won, plus there is a medal from the European Championship in bouldering and second place in the discipline's overall standings. Domen and Mina have shown good preparedness throughout and started excellently in lead, Mina earned a medal at the European Championship and then they were second with Domen in Villars, but not everything went according to plan in the continuation of the season; I believe they have much more to show. I am also satisfied with the boulderers and their excellent results: Jernej Kruder was on the World Cup podium for the first time, Anže Peharc thrilled us with his performance at the European Championship and climbed to bronze, Katja Kadić has proven she belongs among the best and is already becoming a regular World Cup finalist. The young ones have proven they can compete with the best and I count on them already next season."



Janja Garnbret (Šaleški AO) comes to the Kranj competition for the second year in a row as the overall World Cup winner in both lead and combined, in addition, she is also second in the overall bouldering ranking. At World Cup competitions this year, as the first competitor in history, she won as many as eight victories in the season, five in lead and three in bouldering, and a record haul of WC points in the overall standings (1035) with the largest difference in the history of this measurement, as the second-placed Briton Shauna Coxsey has as many as 475 points less. "I just found out that I am the competitor with the most wins in the season. I am very proud of my progress in these two years, as well as all the wins. I don't see myself as a legend yet, I just climb and enjoy it, I try to give my all in every individual competition, how others see me is subjective opinion. What the difference is between me and the competitors, I cannot answer, only the coach and climbing colleagues can. The key is to enjoy climbing, to like training, I am stubborn, persistent and want to be better and better," she modestly accompanied the historical milestones in the World Cup and the question about the key difference between her and the competitors, that they cannot catch her, even though they are strong competition in individual trials. Also at home, which has not yet allowed her the taste of victory, but gave her bronze two years in a row. "A win in Kranj would mean as much to me as wins in other competitions, but I still hope for a better placement than third place, as I want to show the best climbing and good form and win in front of the home audience too," the determined 18-year-old from Koroška says, who continues the tradition of devilish Slovenian women who reign in sport climbing, and is also a role model for younger national team colleagues, to whom she lays on the heart: "My advice to younger competitors who are just entering the world of senior competitions would be not to burden themselves too much with the result, not to think too much, they just have to enjoy climbing, be relaxed and give their all."



Mina Markovič (ŠPK Plus) is the Slovenian national team member with the longest tenure at the WC Kranj competition, where she will perform for the fourteenth time this year. "Performing at home is always a special experience and ending the season in Kranj is really a good feeling. At the beginning, I admit, it was perhaps a bit harder for me to perform in front of the home audience, but over the years I have gained so much experience that I gladly accept all the encouragement, energy and support from the audience!" the 29-year-old sport climber rejoices, who has also won four times in the capital of Gorenjska, namely in 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2015. She started this season excellently, with the title of European vice-champion in lead and second place at the opening WC competition in lead, then the results fluctuated. "Physically, I was always, I believe, excellently prepared, which I confirmed at every competition with top qualifying performances and regularly ranked among at least the top five, but in the semifinal it somehow didn't go. Mistakes, slips, wrong decisions and route reading started to appear, and consequently also greater doubt from competition to competition - in short, the head played a little trick," analyzed Markovič and added: "I knew the importance of mental preparation from before, but it never came to the fore as much as this year. Form and good physical preparedness are of course important, but if the head doesn't cooperate or the psyche is not in place or at the level it should be, all the preparedness doesn't help you at all, because you can't show even a fraction of it."



Following in the footsteps of her role models is also Vita Lukan (ŠPO PD Radovljica), who this year won the title of European junior champion in lead, and the year before stood on the podium of the world junior championship. At the same time, she became the overall winner of the 2017 European Youth Cup in lead and, along with Lučka Rakovec, climbed a ticket to next year's youth Olympic games. "I am really happy that I will be part of the team that will travel to Buenos Aires next year. The youth Olympic games will be even more exciting for me, as this will be the first time climbing is part of the Olympic games. It will surely be an unforgettable experience, as there will be multiple sports disciplines on the schedule, we will be accommodated in the Olympic village, only the best 20 climbers in combined will compete ... Until the games, which will be on the schedule right after the world junior championship, I will try to make progress in speed, which is currently my weak point," predicts the 17-year-old from Radovljica, who experienced her debut performance at the Kranj competition last year and achieved an excellent 19th place in her first senior trial, and this year has already performed several times among seniors: "The jump from junior category to senior is quite big, but I am satisfied with my consistent results, as I managed to qualify for the semifinal at every competition. Of course, it shows that the routes are harder, more complex and require more experience and knowledge than routes in juniors. The competition, which is already quite strong in younger categories, is even more dense in seniors. Especially for girls, it's hard to get to the final, as almost always the same competitors appear at the top, who very rarely allow mistakes."



The flag bearer of the Slovenian national team in the men's competition remains last year's overall WC winner Domen Škofic (ŠPO PD Radovljica), also this year already with a placement on the victory podium and currently fourth in the overall ranking of the 2017 World Cup in lead, who due to obligations in the Slovenian Army was unable to attend the press conference.



Overall standings of the 2017 World Cup in lead (before the last competition)

women (source: IFSC) men (source: IFSC)

1. Janja Garnbret (SLO) 565 points

2. Jain Kim (KOR) 445 points

3. Anak Verhoeven (BEL) 404 points

...

6. Mina Markovič (SLO) 253 points

23. Mia Krampl (SLO) 68 points

25. Vita Lukan (SLO) 66 points

42. Urška Repušič (SLO) 18 points 1. Romain Desgranges (FRA) 440 points

2. Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA) 362 points

3. Keiichiro Korenaga (JAP) 339 points

4. Domen Škofic (SLO) 270 points

...

62. Martin Bergant (SLO) 2 points

67. Jernej Kruder (SLO) 1 point



Overall standings of the 2017 World Cup in combined (before the last competition)

women (source: IFSC) men (source: IFSC)

1. Janja Garnbret (SLO) 1035 points

2. Shauna Coxsey (GBR) 560 points

3. Jain Kim (KOR) 546 points

...

17. Mina Markovič (SLO) 253 points

20. Katja Kadič (SLO) 227 points

61. Vita Lukan (SLO) 80 points

65. Mia Krampl (SLO) 68 points

84. Julija Kruder (SLO) 44 points

116. Urška Repušič (SLO) 18 points 1. Tomoa Narasaki (JAP) 565 points

2. Jongwon Chon (KOR) 555 points

3. Kokoro Fujii (JAP) 471 points

...

19. Domen Škofic (SLO) 272 points

23. Jernej Kruder (SLO) 202 points

77. Anže Peharc (SLO) 62 points

131. Gregor Vezonik (SLO) 14 points

188. Martin Bergant (SLO) 2 points



Journalists and photographers who will report from WC Kranj 2017, please do not forget to accredit by November 8 at 12 noon via the IFSC online form.



Tickets for the Kranj competition are available at the headquarters of the Alpine Association of Slovenia at Dvorakova 9 in Ljubljana during office hours and at Eventim sales points throughout Slovenia and online. Viewing Saturday qualifications is free for all, entry to all competitions is free for children up to and including 12 years of age. Admission for Saturday semifinal is 8 € or 6 € for PZS members, for Sunday final 15 € or 12 € for PZS members.



More detailed information is on the competition website and there will also be all results published after the end of qualifications, semifinal and final, as well as photos. We will also publish everything up-to-date on the PZS website and PZS Facebook page.



Viewing the competition will be enabled in direct LIVE broadcast via the International Federation of Sport Climbing IFSC, the final part on Sunday, November 12, will also be broadcast at 16:55 on program 2 by TV Slovenia. The media sponsor of WC Kranj 2017 is Val 202.



The Slovenian sport climbing team with excellent achievements, passionate dedication and effort confirms quality, planned and persistent work of national teams, coaches and climbers, therefore it deserves our strong live support on home soil.