3 gold medals, silver and bronze for Slovenia

3 gold medals, silver and bronze for Slovenia at the first IFSC Youth European Championships in Bouldering 2013



This weekend, May 25 and 26, 2013, the IFSC Youth European Championships in Bouldering 2013 took place in the Swiss town of Grindelwald, where an 18-member Slovenian youth national team also competed and achieved an outstanding success with 3 gold medals, silver and bronze, totaling 5 medals.

At the first youth European Championships in bouldering organized by the International Federation of Sport Climbing IFSC and the local Swiss Alpine Club SAC, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, 235 competitors from Europe out of 240 registered in all categories participated, including 18 members of our Slovenian youth national team in sport climbing led by selector Borut Kavzar.



After successful qualifiers yesterday, when half of our young representatives qualified for today's final (a total of 9 in all categories), Slovenia experienced another outstanding success today. Our representatives won as many as 5 medals - 3 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze. Domen Škofic among the juniors (last year he also won the title of the first youth European champion in lead), Janja Garnbret among the older girls and Matic Kotar among the older boys were crowned youth European champions. Cadet Anže Peharc, who is also the current world champion in lead among older boys, won silver; bronze went to Sara Lukič among the older girls. Slovenia thus achieved one of the greatest successes in the Slovenian youth national team.



FINAL RESULTS of our representatives (Source: IFSC):



OLDER GIRLS (youth B, 39 competitors): 1. JANJA GARNBRET (Šaleški AO), 3. Sara Lukič (Šaleški AO), 4. Tjaša Slemenšek (Šaleški AO), 12. Brina Pirc (AO PD Rašica)

OLDER BOYS (youth B, 37 competitors): 1. MATIC KOTAR (ŠPO PD Rašica), 5. Miha Hajna (Plezalno društvo Proteus)

CADETTES (youth A, 45 competitors): 6. Julija Kruder (ŠPO PD Celje - Matica), 11. Tjaša Kalan (AO PD Kranj)

CADETS (youth A, 46 competitors): 2. Anže Peharc (ŠPO PD Tržič), 8. Martin Bergant (PK Škofja Loka), 24. Tim Unuk (PK Laško), 29. Milan Preskar (PK Škofja Loka)

JUNIORS WOMEN (juniors, 27 competitors): 6. Katja Kadič (AO PD Rašica), 15. Anja Šerbinek (ŠPO APD Kozjak Maribor), 21. Jera Lenardič (AO PD Kranj)

JUNIORS MEN (juniors, 41 competitors): 1. DOMEN ŠKOFIC (ŠPO PD Radovljica), 7. Gregor Vezonik (AK Ravne), 22. Dominik Fon (AO PD Kranj)



This year, two more major competitions follow besides the youth European Cup events:

26.-28. 7.: Imst (Austria), youth European Championships in lead

15.-19. 8.: Central Saanich (Canada), youth World Championships in lead



STATEMENTS:



BORUT KAVZAR (selector of the Slovenian youth national team): "Given the extremely difficult 2013 season in terms of finances and training program possibilities, we achieved an excellent result. I didn't expect this to be the best championship we've participated in. The youngest were certainly a puzzle for me, as they hadn't competed in such big events before, and we didn't know how high they could reach. What happened was a big positive surprise for everyone and a very nice send-off for the new generation that is now trying to prove itself on the international scene again. Practically all who competed in the older girls and older boys categories surprised positively; they were very good. I thought Janja and Matic might be successful, but I didn't think so for our other youngest finalists - that was also Sara Lukič, Tjaša Slemenšek and Miha Hajna. I definitely wanted more training volume than we were perhaps prepared for. In the end, we did three excellent training sessions at Log within the Korenjak Climbing Club, and maybe that was the icing on the cake so that the young ones went confidently into the situations awaiting them at the competition. Given that this was the FIRST youth European Championships in bouldering (last year it was the first in lead), this is a very nice memory where we achieved an exceptional 5 medals. We only achieved 5 medals at the youth European Cup in Vienna and last year 4 at the World Championships in Singapore (gold, silver and 2 bronzes). This year we exceeded the set goal for the first time; at the beginning I would have dared to predict at most 2 medals. And ahead? Despite smaller finances, we want to maintain a high climbing and competitive level that befits the European ranking events, which we are also succeeding very well in."



JANJA GARNBRET (older girl, GOLD, title of the first YOUTH EUROPEAN CHAMPION in bouldering): "The boulders were very hard. Since the first boulder was very difficult, I climbed it on the 2nd attempt, the second boulder on the 1st attempt, and for the third I needed a few more attempts, but still secured 1st place. I gave everything I could from myself. I showed everything I know and what I'm capable of. My expectations were fulfilled, as I expected a podium but not the highest one. Ahead, I want to place as best as possible at the youth European Championships in lead in Imst in July. I like competing in both lead and bouldering, and I'm good at both."



SARA LUKIČ (older girls, 3rd place - BRONZE): "Between me and Tjaša Slemenšek, who ended up 4th, it was decided by one zone that they didn't count for me at first, but after a protest I won third place. I didn't expect a podium, so I'm all the happier. The atmosphere was good, also the cheering. I'm satisfied, happy and looking ahead with new goals - to achieve such or even better places at as many competitions as possible."



MATIC KOTAR (older boy, GOLD, title of the first YOUTH EUROPEAN CHAMPION in bouldering): "At the beginning of the final I was nervous, but I think after the second boulder it was gone. On the first boulder I told myself I'd climb as I know how, and I managed to climb it on the first attempt, and then it went well on the other two on the first attempt as well." Matic, from Šentvid pri Ljubljani, led among the older boys also after qualifiers and firmly defended the lead. "All the boulders - both in qualifiers and final - I liked. The competition was demanding, as even though the competition itself lasted maybe 2 hours, we were cheering for everyone all day and really - everyone's effort was rewarded. It was really great here, and it's also a great first experience at such competitions."



ANŽE PEHARC (cadet, 2nd place - SILVER, title of youth European silver medalist in bouldering): "Everything fell into place as it should. It could have been even better, but I'm very satisfied with the result. I expected a final, but I didn't think there would be a podium. I knew I was physically well prepared. In the final it went excellently for me, I climbed all three boulders on the first attempt and the qualifiers were decisive for the win, where the winner had a few fewer attempts than me. Ahead: I want to prepare well for Imst - youth European Championships in lead and for the youth World Championships in Canada (lead), to climb there as I know how." Last year Anže won the world champion title among older boys, this season he's already competing among cadets, but obviously few can match him among cadets either, although the competition is already bigger.



DOMEN ŠKOFIC (junior, GOLD, title of the first YOUTH EUROPEAN CHAMPION in bouldering): After last year's title of the first youth European champion in lead, he achieved another excellent success this year, adding the title of youth European champion in bouldering. "I'm very satisfied with the result and the climbing. For boulders, I think they are like a lottery - if the boulders suit me, I can show a lot, sometimes I wonder at myself with a poorer performance. I'm very satisfied with the success. Although all who went to European Cups came, it still seems to me there wasn't that much competition. The final three boulders were very different - the first seemed incredibly easy already from the inspection, which it was, but maybe due to underestimating I made a big mistake by not grabbing the top with both hands. So there was one more attempt. I climbed the second boulder on the first attempt, the third boulder is still a puzzle to me how to climb it - none of the finalists climbed it." What's next, Domen? Successes are really piling up. "The next step on my path is World Cup competitions and this win is a good send-off for the WC competitions. Since this is the last year among juniors, next year I'll compete in senior competition, so I've finished well in bouldering in youth competition. This year I'll compete in youth competition only at championships, because I have so many competitions, and I'll mostly focus on the World Cup. The second and very important reason is also school - by June 20 I squeeze and finish high school, which we've otherwise already finished, now only the matura awaits me."



Spectators could watch and cheer for the final of the 1st Youth European Championships in Bouldering LIVE via the website http://www.swiss-sport.tv/.



Our youth national team members are also very successful at youth European Cup competitions, which they will also participate in during 2013 in both lead and bouldering, where they repeatedly reach for the most prestigious awards.