Janja Garnbret unbeatable also in Briançon
30.07.2017
Sport climber Janja Garnbret continues her winning streak in the Lead World Cup, securing her third consecutive victory on July 29, 2017, at the third World Cup event in Briançon and repeating last year's dream start to the season, when she also strung together three wins at the outset. Mina Markovič placed eighth after a mistake in the final, Domen Škofic was ninth, and Vita Lukan sixteenth.
The relentless rain also this year hampered the climbing of the top performers in the Briançon evening final, but it could not unsettle Slovenian champion Janja Garnbret (Šaleški AO), firmly determined to reach high, the highest, in the final as well after topping in qualifications and semifinals. After dispatching all competition at the first two events of the season in Swiss Villars and French Chamonix, the 18-year-old from Šmartno pri Slovenj Gradcu also won in Briançon, France, albeit without the top. "I am really very happy that I succeeded in repeating the win at the first three World Cup events, especially happy with today's climbing, as I really relaxed, enjoyed it, and went to the end. The final route already looked harder from the onsight than the routes in Chamonix and Villars, so I am very satisfied that I climbed it well. It means a lot to me to know that I can climb well even difficult routes," rejoiced the young sport climbing heroine, who beat second-placed Belgian Anak Verhoeven by one move and third-placed South Korean Jain Kim by three moves. "I take every competition as a special one, as a new story. I don't know why it didn't come together at the championship and world games as I wished, perhaps I had a bit too little luck, but obviously I really pull myself together at World Cup events," added Garnbret, fourth this year at the European Championship in lead and second at the World Games.
The other Slovenian finalist Mina Markovič (ŠPK Plus) slipped to eighth place after an early mistake in the final. "I still don't know what happened, suddenly I found myself in the air. I felt good, but my foot slipped and it was all over. I don't remember when it last threw me off like that. All competitors had the same conditions, so I don't think it makes sense to look for excuses in the weather and conditions. More important to me is that I really climbed the qualification routes well, and precisely that feeling good leads me forward," summarized her feelings the Sežana native, who this month already claimed the European vice-champion title and logged second place at the opening 2017 World Cup event, both in lead. She remains focused on her flagship discipline for the rest of the season and will also compete at the European Championship in bouldering.
Domen Škofic (ŠPO PD Radovljica) narrowly missed the final ticket with ninth place in Briançon and the chance to repeat last year's success, when he climbed his second World Cup win in France, and together with Janja they celebrated the double Slovenian victory. Before the home crowd, current European champion Romain Desgranges triumphed, second was Canadian Sean McColl, third Italian Stefano Ghisolfi.
"With Janja's victory we achieved an excellent result again, Mina was also in top form but her foot slipped, that's sport. We are satisfied that the route difficulty is finally back at lead level. Shame for Domen staying below the final cutoff, Vita is exceptional for a 16-year-old junior maintaining constant results," drew the line under the Briançon event Luka Fonda, assistant to the selector of the Slovenian sport climbing national team.
At the French venue hosting the world's best climbers since 2010, seven members of the Slovenian sport climbing national team carried Slovenian colors. Young Vita Lukan (ŠPO PD Radovljica) also competed in semifinals, placing 16th, while in qualifications Mia Krampl (AO PD Kranj) and Jernej Kruder (ŠPO PD Celje Matica), both 31st, and Martin Bergant (PK Škofja Loka), ending 51st, concluded the competition.
Sport climbers face a short break, followed by World Cup events in Arco (Italy) on August 25-26, Edinburgh (Great Britain) on September 23-24, Wujiang (China) on October 7-8, Xiamen (China) on October 14-15, and to close the season on November 11-12 in home Kranj (Slovenia). The sport climbing elite will also contest the European Bouldering Championship on August 18-19 in Munich (Germany).
