Awaiting the World Championship in Paris

We are counting down the days to the start of the biggest sport-climbing event of the year – the World Championship, which from September 14 to 18, 2016, in Paris will attract 500 of the most successful sport climbers and 20,000 spectators. Among the selected eleven members of the Slovenian sport climbing team are Mina Markovič and Jernej Kruder, the current world runner-up in lead and world runner-up in bouldering. Slovenia's hopes in the Parisian fire will also include this year's most successful lead climbers, Janja Garnbret at her first World Championship and Domen Škofic, who finished fourth two years ago in Spain. They presented their goals at today's press conference at the headquarters of the Alpine Association of Slovenia in Ljubljana.



During the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the decision was made for sport climbing to become part of the Olympic family. What the inclusion of sport climbing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics means was explained by Aleš Pirc, head of the Sport Climbing Commission of the Alpine Association of Slovenia (KŠP PZS): "The inclusion of sport climbing in the Olympic program means a great opportunity for our climbers to confirm their quality at the biggest sporting event. The Alpine Association of Slovenia accepts even greater responsibility with this decision to provide material and personnel conditions for the operation of its teams. With climbing being elevated to the class of Olympic sports, we expect greater financial investments from sponsors and public sources, which will enable competitors the best possible conditions for the four-year Olympic preparation cycle. Given the top results of our climbers in recent years and strong potential, we can count on an Olympic medal in four years."



Slovenian sport climbers have been shaping the world elite for years, as evidenced by their successes at World Championships. "Slovenes have achieved excellent results at World Championships in the past. Mina Markovič was third in combined in 2009, 2011, and 2014, and at the last championship in 2014 in Gijón, she was also world runner-up in lead. Maja Vidmar won bronze in lead in 2007 and 2009, while in the men's competition, Jernej Kruder achieved the highest placement with second place in bouldering two years ago in Munich. I must also mention Martina Čufar's result from 2001, when she became Slovenia's only representative with the title of world champion in lead," listed Jure Golob, member of the KŠP PZS executive board and former national team member.



"This season is exceptional. As you can follow the results, the representatives have achieved some milestones this year. Janja and Domen have won gold three times at World Cup events, for the first time in history we are the leading team in the overall lead standings, and before the lead season, Janja was also silver at the bouldering event in Innsbruck," assessed Luka Fonda, assistant coach of the Slovenian sport climbing team, emphasizing that with such top results, they would like more media attention, sponsorship funds for future participation, and state assistance for better training infrastructure.



The team continues in a victorious spirit under the leadership of the new head coach Gorazd Hren, who took on this role this year. "Good preparation is of course key to success, and a very good and relaxed atmosphere has been established in the team, and I think that's the right way," he highlighted and outlined the goals ahead of the World Championship: "The goals are of course to achieve a good result, and I would be lying if I said we don't strongly desire a medal as well. Above all, I want the competitors to enjoy the championship, and if they succeed, I'm sure they will climb well. I wouldn't underestimate the competition, everyone is well prepared, this is the highlight of the year and we will give our all."



The eleven-member Slovenian squad for the Paris 2016 World Championship consists of sport climbers Mina Markovič, Janja Garnbret, Tjaša Kalan, and Rebeka Kamin, who will compete in lead, Julija Kruder and Tjaša Slemenšek in bouldering, while in the men's competition, Domen Škofic, Urban Primožič, and Martin Bergant will compete in lead, and Jernej Kruder and Gregor Vezonik in bouldering.



Mina Markovič (ŠPK Plus), the current European champion, world runner-up, and three-time overall World Cup winner in lead climbing, who returned from the World Championship in Spain's Gijón two years ago with silver in lead and bronze in combined, competed this year only in selected World Cup events. "This year I decided on the competitions a bit later, the focus was definitely on the World Championship. The rising and stable form I showed at the end of summer gives me good support, we've gelled well with the new team and done top trainings. I think the preparation is where it should be, and I'm looking forward to this competition with pleasure," said the 28-year-old from Ptuj, who at the end of August at the Arco Rock Legends awards ceremony received the special award for competitive achievements in the previous season for the second time since 2013, a kind of climbing Oscar. "This is the highest recognition you can get in our sport as a competitive climber. The climbing community or media select the best competitor based on achievements in the previous year, including all disciplines, all categories, both genders. Getting this recognition for the second time is really a nice confirmation of the results from the previous year and all before."



The youngest member of the Slovenian team, 17-year-old Janja Garnbret (ŠAO Velenje), who has achieved everything possible in youth competition, has also shown with her senior appearances that she is a tough nut for older competitors. Last year she became European runner-up, and this year she has already climbed to victory three times at World Cup events. "Even in youth categories, I competed with girls I'm competing with now in seniors. Only some older competitors' faces were new. So I roughly knew how good I was compared to them. I'm very excited, but I don't want any expectations before the World Championship so they don't bury me. I want to climb relaxed, enjoy, be focused, and give my all," she summed up her thoughts before departing for Paris. In four years, we might cheer for the young Carinthian at the Tokyo Olympics: "The Olympics are every athlete's dream. I have a great desire to participate, and I will strive to make it happen," there's no doubt about Janja's words.



"Competitive climbing changes from year to year, becoming more dynamic and attractive, so the training method itself has of course changed. With the format adopted for the Olympics, we can expect radical changes, not only in training but in the sport itself. I strongly hope for the better," assessed the Olympic prospects of sport climbing Domen Škofic (ŠPO PD Radovljica), Slovenia's most successful men's representative. The 21-year-old from Radovljica sets higher goals year by year; after his premier World Cup win last year, he has already achieved three this year, and at the 2014 World Championship in lead, he just missed the podium. "Improving the result from two years ago is definitely a big motivation for me, the super results so far give me confidence. I know I've never been in such form, I'm really top prepared, but first I need to relax, focus only on climbing and enjoy; if it all comes together, it will be top," said Škofic.



Twenty-four-year-old Urban Primožič (PK Škofja Loka) finished the World Championship in lead in Gijón two years ago in 14th place, and this year with 5th in Villars he equaled his best World Cup placement, a good foundation for this year's season highlight: "I want to qualify for the final to improve my result from the previous World Championship. Since the most competitors are entered for this event, I will have to climb well already in qualifiers, and in semifinals compared to competitors, for me it will be crucial to climb as fast as possible with as few mistakes. If I succeed, I think the result will come."



Not only in lead, but also in bouldering we look forward with interest to this year's highlight of highlights. Slovenia's most successful boulderer Jernej Kruder (ŠPO PD Celje - Matica) won second place at the 2014 World Championship in Munich, thus climbing Slovenia's first bouldering medal at World Championships. "In this World Cup season I was in excellent form, as I reached semifinals in almost all – except the last one – where I always climbed well, but always just a little short of the final. After the season I focused a bit more on rock climbing and lost a bit of power, so I decided to work harder in the last month and do a lot of quality trainings. I'm satisfied with my form, so podium repeats are not out of reach," predicted the 25-year-old from Celje.



You can view the competition schedule on the Paris 2016 World Championship website. After the qualifiers on September 14 and 15, on Friday September 16, women's lead semifinals and men's bouldering semifinals follow. On Saturday September 17, morning women's bouldering and men's lead semifinals, at 17:30 men's bouldering final and at 21:00 women's lead final. On Sunday September 18, at 12:00 women's bouldering final, and the World Championship will conclude at 15:30 with the men's lead final. Live broadcast of all finals will be available on the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) website.