Janja Garnbret winner of Kranj and...

Janja Garnbret winner of Kranj and the 2017 World Cup, Slovenia tops Nations Cup.



Three times on November 12 in the Kranj Zlato polje hall, the Slovenian anthem Zdravljica rang out in honor of Slovenian sport climber Janja Garnbret, winner of the final World Cup lead event and overall winner of the 2017 World Cup in lead and combined. Domen Škofic, Slovenia's ace in the men's competition, finished just off the podium, Mina Markovič achieved fifth in her thirteenth Kranj final, newcomer to senior finals Vita Lukan seventh place. The Slovenian sport climbing team won the Nations Cup in lead for the second year in a row.



The capital of Gorenjska has been an indispensable stop for the world's best sport climbers for 22 years before the end of the season. In the last event of this year's World Cup, organized by the Alpine Association of Slovenia under the auspices of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), 113 competitors from 19 countries competed, and besides the brilliant performances of our representatives, the accompanying program gave it a special stamp - children's workshops and mini Olympics with Foksi, climbing films from the Mountain Film Festival and strong finger competition, at the official opening a tightrope walking spectacle amazed the audience, during the competition DJ Pier warmed up the atmosphere.



Third time's the charm, one could say for unstoppable Janja Garnbret (Šaleški AO), who in her third Kranj final managed to step onto the highest podium step, after being third last year and the year before. The 18-year-old Carinthian in front of a packed Zlato polje hall provided the Slovenian anthem twice more, as she had already secured the overall World Cup win in lead and combined before the final event, for the second year in a row, this time in truly grand style, as the first competitor in history to achieve nine wins in one season, and at the same time winning the overall combined World Cup with by far the highest points (1135). South Korean Jain Kim climbed to the silver medal, who had already won in Kranj in 2010 and 2011, bronze surprisingly went to British climber Molly Thompson-Smith. Kranj record holder Mina Markovič (ŠPK Plus), who has already notched four wins in Kranj (2009, 2012, 2014 and 2015), achieved fifth place in her thirteenth consecutive final in front of the home crowd, junior Vita Lukan (ŠPO PD Radovljica) qualified for seventh in her first senior final.



In the men's competition, Austrian Jakob Schubert confidently triumphed, the only one to reach the top of the final route and best already in qualifications and semifinals, otherwise he won in Kranj in 2012 and 2013. German Alexander Megos was happy with second place, Russian Dmitrij Fakirjanov with third. Slovenian ace Domen Škofic (ŠPO PD Radovljica) concluded his fourth consecutive Kranj final just below the podium, in fourth place, he is also fourth in the overall 2017 World Cup lead standings, where Frenchman Romain Desgranges dominated this year.



Urška Repušič shone with tenth place, Mia Krampl and Martin Bergant (both 19th) also made the top twenty. Slovenian colors were represented by a 20-member team under selector Gorazd Hren and coaches Luka Fonda and Urh Čehovin. They all gave their best: Jernej Kruder (21st), Katja Kadić (22nd), Lučka Rakovec (23rd), Tjaša Kalan (29th), Lana Skušek (30th), Milan Preskar (32nd), Veronika Meke (33rd), Tjaša Slemenšek (41st), Kaja Skvarč Božič (43rd), Anže Peharc and Zan Sudar (both 46th), Luka Potočar (51st) and Klemen Novak (52nd).



"I'm very emotional, at the award for the Kranj event I still held back, but at the overall standings I couldn't hold back the tears," serial winner Janja Garnbret (Šaleški AO) laughed again after the ceremony, who finally managed to win in front of the home crowd: "I watched the Kranj crowd twice from third, now finally from the highest podium. It's incredible when everyone stands up, applauds you and really appreciates what you've shown them before and during the competition." After last year's dream season, when she became world champion and overall World Cup winner in lead and combined, it seemed hard to step up another notch, but Garnbret with renewed double overall World Cup win, while second overall in bouldering, plus historic nine World Cup wins in one season, six in lead and three in bouldering. What can we expect in 2018? "I can't promise anything for next season because I don't know when such a season will repeat. For next year I hope to progress personally, to be stronger than this year, to show it in results too - I hope it doesn't go wrong, I'll try. Nine wins in one season I think is pretty much the maximum, I don't even dare think if more is possible. I can't promise anything, but I'll try to show everyone - and myself - that more can be achieved." Due to the approaching Olympics, which will feature sport climbing for the first time in 2020 in Tokyo, there are more and more boulderers among the top lead climbers and the top is getting broader. "In the last two years it's gotten harder every year to defend or attack the title, you really can't afford mistakes, your head has to be in the right place, otherwise no good result. Maybe it's easier for boulderers to come to lead than from lead to bouldering, because they differ greatly, but competitors will bunch up. In Kranj boulderers also saw they can climb well and will be strong competition," assesses the 18-year-old Carinthian, with her versatility Slovenia's main candidate for Olympic medals, but aware that more attention will need to be given to speed climbing too.



"Top-notch, Janja is not from this world, what she does is abnormal. I hope a bit of it rubs off on me too. Last season I won also because of her, she showed it's not impossible," rejoiced with the world's best climber her boyfriend Domen Škofic (ŠPO PD Radovljica), who finished the Kranj event just off the podium, the whole season was marked by fourth places: "Maybe it was really a fourth year this year, everything went a bit wrong, after last year's dream year, this one the opposite. Considering how many misfortunes I had and after the European Championship in Campitello I already wanted to end my career, fourth in overall standings is not bad, if I was second today I could even be overall third. The whole season disappointed me a bit, but in the end it motivated me, so I'm looking forward to the future and next competitions." He described his fourth final at the home event as not too demanding, but mistakes decided the top places: "Jakob really climbed the whole competition phenomenally and deservedly won. Finals are becoming more of a show, not the hardest routes, but you can't afford mistakes. A new style is emerging, that was a factor this season for different results, but we'll get used to it."



Different competition routes remain a challenge also for Kranj veteran Mina Markovič (ŠPK Plus), who performed in front of the home crowd for the fourteenth time, just a few years less than her youngest competitors are old: "Not all experience counts, mistakes started appearing despite years of competing lately, as the way of competition climbing changes more and more, but it remains a challenge." Slovenia's most experienced representative, three-time overall World Cup winner, who celebrated four times in Kranj too (2009, 2012, 2014, 2015), climbed to fifth place in front of the home crowd this year, enough also for overall sixth in World Cup lead: "The season really started excellently with second at European Championship lead and second at the first World Cup event, then not everything went as expected, even though I was in top form all season, but my head let me down. At the home event I felt confident too, excellently climbed semifinal and qualifications, less satisfied with final climbing, which allowed no mistakes."



Following in the footsteps of her idols is Vita Lukan (ŠPO PD Radovljica), European youth champion in lead, who achieved seventh place in her first senior final. "The feeling was phenomenal, really happy to reach the final exactly at the Kranj event. The crowd gave me extra energy to climb, it was incredible how many people come to support climbers, and I believe they enjoyed it," enthused the 17-year-old from Radovljica, whom we can expect at more senior events next season, and together with Lučka Rakovec, Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires await her.



The Slovenian sport climbing team won the Nations Cup in lead for the second year in a row, also thanks to excellent performances in Kranj. "If I draw a line under the season, we achieved quite a few new good results in bouldering, also excellent in lead, although not everything went to plan for Domen and Mina, Janja executed the season incredibly and won the World Cup already before the last event. For Kranj I'm happy we had ten semifinalists, final with four representatives is excellent for us, home win means a lot too, at the end we learned that thanks to good Kranj results we advanced from third to first in lead and won the Nations Cup," was satisfied selector Gorazd Hren, who assesses that the future of Slovenian sport climbing at the highest level need not be feared. "Cadet girls, 16, 17 years old, Vita, Urška, Mia, also showed in Kranj they can compete with older, more experienced competitors, which delights us, for the boys we need to find the right recipe, motivate the young ones to try to close the gap between Domen and the others."



Results of the World Cup lead climbing Kranj 2017

women - 52 competitors (source: IFSC) men - 61 competitors (source: IFSC)

1. Janja Garnbret (SLO)

2. Jain Kim (KOR)

3. Molly Thompson-Smith (GBR)

4. Julia Chanourdie (FRA)

5. Mina Markovič (SLO)

6. Shauna Coxsey (GBR)

7. Vita Lukan (SLO)

8. Anak Verhoeven (BEL)

...

10. Urša Repušič (SLO)

19. Mia Krampl (SLO)

22. Katja Kadić (SLO)

23. Lučka Rakovec (SLO)

29. Tjaša Kalan (SLO)

30. Lana Skušek (SLO)

33. Veronika Meke (SLO)

41. Tjaša Slemenšek (SLO)

43. Kaja Skvarč Božič (SLO) 1. Jakob Schubert (AUT)

2. Alexander Megos (GER)

3. Dmitrij Fakirjanov (RUS)

4. Domen Škofic (SLO)

5. Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA)

6. Francesco Vettorata (ITA)

7. Marcello Bombardi (ITA)

8. Jan Hojer (GER)

...

19. Martin Bergant (SLO)

21. Jernej Kruder (SLO)

32. Milan Preskar (SLO)

46. Anže Peharc (SLO)

46. Zan Sudar (SLO)

51. Luka Potočar (SLO)

52. Klemen Novak (SLO)



Overall World Cup 2017 lead standings

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

1. Janja Garnbret (SLO) 665 points

2. Jain Kim (KOR) 525 points

3. Anak Verhoeven (BEL) 444 points

...

6. Mina Markovič (SLO) 304 points

18. Vita Lukan (SLO) 109 points

23. Mia Krampl (SLO) 82 points

29. Urška Repušič (SLO) 52 points 1. Romain Desgranges (FRA) 443 points

2. Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA) 382 points

3. Keiichiro Korenaga (JPN) 339 points

4. Domen Škofic (SLO) 307 points

...

50. Martin Bergant (SLO) 16 points

55. Jernej Kruder (SLO) 11 points



Overall World Cup 2017 combined standings

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

1. Janja Garnbret (SLO) 1135 points

2. Shauna Coxsey (GBR) 626 points

3. Jain Kim (KOR) 607 points

...

13. Mina Markovič (SLO) 304 points

21. Katja Kadić (SLO) 236 points

42. Vita Lukan (SLO) 123 points

61. Mia Krampl (SLO) 82 points

78. Urška Repušič (SLO) 52 points

86. Julija Kruder (SLO) 44 points

1. Tomoa Narasaki (JPN) 571 points

2. Jongwon Chon (KOR) 564 points

3. Kokoro Fujii (JPN) 489 points

...

17. Domen Škofic (SLO) 309 points

22. Jernej Kruder (SLO) 212 points

79. Anže Peharc (SLO) 62 points

127. Martin Bergant (SLO) 16 points

134. Gregor Vezonik (SLO) 14 points