Janja Garnbret, three-time world champion

Janja Garnbret, who has already confirmed her dominance in bouldering and lead climbing at the Sport Climbing World Championships, added a third title in the combined final in Hachioji, Japan, and once again made history, as no one before her has managed to win in three different disciplines at the same championship. The Carinthian can boast a total of seven medals from World Championships, six of them gold and one silver, and next year the hot Slovenian weapon will be at the Tokyo Olympics.



"This is incredible! This year I've already had a dream bouldering season, and to have won three more world champion titles is really incredible. I couldn't have wished for anything better," shone Janja Garnbret (Šaleški AO), the only one in the history of sport climbing to win gold in three different disciplines at the same championship, after setting a historic milestone in the World Cup this year with a string of six consecutive bouldering victories.







"I didn't start the day very well, all the fatigue from the World Championships caught up with me, I didn't have the best start in speed, nor did I start well in boulders, but by enjoying each boulder individually, laughing even if I didn't climb it, it helped a lot, in lead I was just relaxed, climbed as I know how, and it's incredible that this is already my second combined title. I don't know how else to describe today's day, as it was really incredible," dreamed the 20-year-old Carinthian with wide eyes in Japan, who has collected seven medals at World Championships, her first gold in lead in 2016 in Paris, and last year she was exceptional in Innsbruck with gold in boulders and combined, and silver in lead.







In the combined final, the girls competed in three disciplines - first speed, then three extremely difficult boulder problems awaited them, and as the last a lead route. The final placement was determined by the product of placements in all disciplines. Garnbret (12) finished sixth in speed, second in boulders with one top and two zones, thus reaching fourth overall, and in lead she reached the top of the route the fastest and thus led in the product as well. In the dramatic final, Japanese Akiyo Noguchi (21) climbed to second place, third was British Shauna Coxsey (42).







"In speed I slipped twice, but I didn't think about anything because it's not over until the end of the competition. If speed doesn't go well, you still have boulders, after them still lead. I kept a cool head and focused on the boulders. I really didn't start them well, but I climbed the second one on the first try, kept a cool head after the first one too and enjoyed further, no one climbed the third boulder, so it turned out excellently. Before lead, I knew that Ai had climbed the route and I knew I had to do it too if I wanted that gold medal. I climbed it without pressure, trusted myself and really enjoyed that route, so it turned out great," laughed the first lady of sport climbing. On August 13, she defended her bouldering world champion title, on August 15 she celebrated the lead title and on August 18 earned a ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and on August 20 became the combined world champion as well. The home crowd will be able to cheer for her - and the other members of the Slovenian sport climbing team - on September 28 and 29 in Kranj, tickets are already available.







"Already on the way there we were joking that I didn't fill the suitcase completely, that I left some reserve because the girls take enough luggage, and that we would put these medals and trophies somewhere. Half joking, half serious, as we said, of course we went for wins - and it really worked out well for us. Janja was phenomenal, I have to admit it was a bit nerve-wracking competition, but in quotation marks, as no one demanded or expected her to win this one too. I think she had done enough at the championship before this competition, Mia complemented her success, we were more than satisfied already then, and this was the icing on the cake," was proud selector and coach of the Slovenian sport climbing team Gorazd Hren, pride also shone from coaches Luka Fonda and Urh Čehovin, who together form an unstoppable team, in which physiotherapist Peter Hribar is indispensable.







In addition to Garnbret, Mia Krampl (AO PD Kranj), the 2019 world runner-up in lead, also shone at the 2019 World Championships, one of the four Slovenians who, along with Janja, competed in the combined qualifications but have not yet secured an Olympic quota. Krampl finished 14th, Jernej Kruder (ŠPO PD Celje Matica) and Vita Lukan (ŠPO PD Radovljica) placed 16th and Lučka Rakovec (PK FA) 17th. The next additional Olympic qualifiers will be at the end of November in France, where the top six will get a spot.