Kranj Spectacle Crowns Brilliant Season...

The Kranj Spectacle Crowns the Brilliant Season of Our Sport Climbers.



Kranj will this weekend, on 26 and 27 November, for the twenty-first time be the venue for the final competition of the World Cup in lead sport climbing. Among more than 120 competitors from 23 countries, there will also be a 19-member Slovenian team that will compete for laurels with the support of the home audience. With the shining results of our national team this season and a rich accompanying program, a true sport climbing spectacle is expected in the Zlato polje hall.



The 2016 World Cup in sport climbing, organized by the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia under the auspices of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), will traditionally conclude in the Zlato polje hall in Kranj. "There are 121 registered competitors from 23 countries, more than last year. The start list has 53 women and 68 men," revealed the head of the Kranj 2016 World Cup Tomo Česen, presenting the competition and schedule. On Saturday, 26 November, men's qualifications start at 9:00, women's qualifications follow at 14:00, and the semi-final will be the same evening at 20:00. Sunday, 27 November, is reserved for the final starting at 16:10. "I expect strong support from the spectators. In the women's competition, we already have our overall winner, but we have a great chance to get the first-ever home winner in the men's overall standings. Our competitors are in the running, which I hope is reason enough for enough spectators to come to the hall and create the right atmosphere, as always," added Česen.



This year's novelty is a rich accompanying program that includes creative workshops for children, a mini olympiad with Foksi, viewing of climbing films from the Mountain Film Festival archive, and a fun challenge for fans — the "strong fingers" competition on a climbing training board. "With this, we want to attract more young people and children to the event and give them the opportunity to get in touch with the best sport climbers in the world. We have prepared a two-day climbing spectacle where everyone will find something for themselves; the final is traditionally the highlight of the competition, and a special invitation also applies to Saturday's semi-final, where highly attractive climbing by the world's best is also expected," emphasized PZS general secretary Matej Planko, noting that tickets should be purchased soon, as only 600 or less than half remain for the Sunday final. They are available at the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia headquarters in Ljubljana, at Eventim sales points across Slovenia, and online, with a special discount for PZS members and AS Club members; until 23 November, a ticket for both days can be secured at the price of the Sunday ticket. Tickets will also be available at the entrance to the Zlato polje hall (unless sold out).



PROGRAM WC KRANJ 2016

Saturday, 26 November Sunday, 27 November

9:00 men's qualifications

10:00–16:00 creative workshops for children

14:00 women's qualifications

14:00–16:00 mini olympiad with Foksi

19:00–19:40 climbing films: Tom et je ris & Če ne padeš ...

19:00–21:00 "strong fingers" qualifications (FingerBoard competition)

20:00 semi-final women and men



15:00–19:00 creative workshops for children

15:15–16:00 "strong fingers" final (FingerBoard competition)

16:10 presentation of finalists and route viewing

16:20 official opening of the competition with acrobatic spectacle

16:30 men's final, followed by women's

(followed by medal ceremony)



An extended Slovenian team will compete in Kranj — ten women and nine men — as the Slovenian sport climbing team selector Gorazd Hren decided to give a chance to all representatives who want to compete and have worked hard all year: "In addition to the regular women's team — Janja Garnbret, who wants to put on a good show at home too, Mina Markovič, who naturally wants to repeat last year's success, and Tjaša Kalan, who is correcting last year's semi-final mistake — all those who have already competed for the national team in the World Cup will perform: Rebeka Kamin, Tjaša Slemenšek, Katja Kadič, Veronika Meke, and Kaja Svarč Božič. We also have two World Cup debutantes, Mia Krampl and Vita Lukan, who together with Janja dominated the cadet category at the youth world championship. For the men, in addition to the regulars Domen Škofic, Urban Primožič, Martin Bergant, and Milan Preskar, boulderers Jernej Kruder, Gregor Vezonik, and Anže Peharc are joining, along with returnee Jure Raztresen and junior Zan Sudar. I expect an excellent competition in Kranj, a full hall, and a spectacle; above all, I want all competitors to climb relaxed and well and show the effort they put into this season."



In the year when sport climbing became an Olympic discipline set to premiere at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, our climbers are creating the most successful season for the Slovenian national team in sport climbing history. "I am more than satisfied with the achievements so far; we have done more than we could have imagined at the start of the season. Janja and Domen are simply dominating lead this year, and regardless of the last competition, they will bring home the most victories this season. Urban is also successful, finishing the best year of his career, and I am very glad Mina has returned — we can always count on her. But it's not over yet; we take each competition separately, and the home competition means a lot to us. Despite having the most victories — three, with others having only one — Domen is still 'at risk' in the overall standings, and we truly want him to deliver an excellent performance at home too," Hren assessed the season before the final event.



Janja Garnbret (Šaleški AO) with last year's European vice-champion title and bronze in Kranj showed she would be a serious competitor to older athletes, and she arrives at this year's final competition as the lead world champion and overall winner of the 2016 WC in lead and combined, in her first full senior season. "Winning in front of the home crowd is always special. Although I don't have this victory secured yet, I really want it. The pressure is a bit higher due to expectations, but you have to forget that and climb at your best. I really want to show the home audience my best form and end the season at its peak," said the 17-year-old from Koroška, who just over a week ago in China also defended her 2016 youth world champion title in both lead and bouldering. But challenges remain: "This season has been dreamlike, far above my expectations. I haven't seriously thought about next season's goals yet, but there are always many challenges and room for improvement. I can progress in bouldering, where I haven't competed a full season yet, and I want to be on the podium at a world championship and in the overall World Cup standings in the future, add some individual victories, repeat the lead world champion title and overall win, string as many consecutive victories as possible, stay on the podium all season... and in rock climbing, move my level up a notch." In a recent interview with Garnbret in Planinski vestnik, Martina Čufar positioned Janja as the next in the line of "devilish Slovenians," where foreigners repeatedly wonder how Slovenia has so many top female climbers constantly on the podiums. "I think every younger climber looks up to her idol and trains hard to one day be as good. I was very ambitious when younger and looked up to previous Slovenian climbers who shaped the world top. It passes from generation to generation, and that's how all the best Slovenian climbers were — each looked up to the previous one and wanted to take another step forward," added the second-youngest world champion in history.



"We certainly share a great love for the sport, motivation, dedication, and the desire to achieve and show it. It's hard to generalize, but we were definitely good examples to each other of what is possible — even when conditions were somewhat worse. Good advice and approaches pass from generation to generation, and I hope it continues. I received quite a few examples from Martina and like to pass them on in the same spirit," said Mina Markovič (ŠPK Plus) about the key factors behind the successes of the "devilish Slovenians." This year, besides the world championship where she won bronze, she only competed in selected WC events. In winter, she focused on rock climbing, completing her first 9a in Spain, and with a slight delay, competition climbing and its atmosphere called her back: "Since I started preparing for the season later, it showed in the early competitions; there were also some changes in work, and I am very glad the guys from the team supported me and we set things up well together. So in the second half of summer, I regained super rhythm and form, which showed in both climbing and results." Last year, Markovič tasted Kranj victory for the fourth time (2009, 2012, 2014, and 2015), placing her level with Frenchwoman Liv Sansoz at the top of the Kranj winners list with four victories. Whether there will be a new milestone for the Kranj competition this weekend remains to be seen, but Markovič is the Slovenian representative with the longest tenure at the Kranj WC, competing there for the fourteenth time and again looking forward to performing in front of the home crowd.



Local climber Tjaša Kalan (AO PD Kranj) will also compete in the Zlato polje sports hall; this year already a WC finalist in Imst, she performed excellently in qualifications in Kranj last year, but bad luck in the semi-final denied her a final spot. "Last year's qualifications will definitely stay in my memory for the surprising route start. I still don't know what happened. I remember entering the route and suddenly having to untie," said Kalan, looking forward to a new chance in front of home fans: "Before the Kranj competition, I paid more attention to training and adjusted everything else accordingly, as the Kranj competition has always meant a lot to me, so I want to be well prepared and climb every route as perfectly as possible, which leads to high motivation in the last month before the competition."



The men's competition will be even larger, with our main ace Domen Škofic (ŠPO PD Radovljica), who after last year's premiere victory strung three WC wins this year and took fourth place at the world championship in Paris. "This year I really surprised myself, though last year after the season I said I wanted to win more often the next year and stand on the overall podium, but I didn't fully believe it would happen. Except for Paris, I won all the most important competitions for me," emphasized the Radovljica climber, who won in Chamonix, Briançon, and Imst, twice standing on the top step with Janja. "Of course I want a home victory too, but for that I need a truly top performance without mistakes," he is aware ahead of the Kranj test, where he is already a final regular but has not yet won. Škofic also has a shot at the overall 2016 WC lead title, but the last competition will decide: "Overall victory was above my expectations before the season, but now I am in a great position for it to happen. It will only succeed if I completely put it out of my mind and climb all or nothing."



Urban Primožič (PK Škofja Loka) qualified for the final twice this year and with 5th place in Villars equalled his best WC result from Kranj in 2011; this year he will bid farewell to competitive sport climbing in front of the home crowd: "The Kranj competition has always been special for me. I first competed in a WC here, also first reached a final here, and this year it will be my last WC competition. I decided to end my competitive career after this one. I go to Kranj to climb without pressure and no high goals. But I think with good climbing I could reach the final again, which would be more than excellent for the last competition. Let's be surprised." Primožič, also the competitors' representative, shed light on novelties regarding the Olympic climbing format for Tokyo 2020: "In Kranj, besides the WC competition, there will be an IFSC assembly on the Olympic format. Each country can present its proposal, and in March 2017 IFSC will decide the final format based on countries' proposals and IOC requirements. The PZS sport climbing commission, in cooperation with coaches and competitors, prepared a proposal to present. The chosen format keeps the current world championship system, with differences only in combined scoring and a new Olympic ranking."



The final 2016 WC lead competition will also feature Jernej Kruder (ŠPO PD Celje Matica), otherwise Slovenia's top boulderer, not usually seen in lead events. On 1 November in Mallorca, the Celje climber made the first repeat of the DWS route Es Pontas, one of the hardest free-climbed routes. "It's hard to say Es Pontas directly helped with endurance, but toward the end of the trip that's what I lacked for the ascent. So when Es Pontas was wet, I focused on longer routes. Now for Kranj I gladly train endurance and actually enjoy it. I see room for progress and may devote more time to endurance training in the future. But I certainly won't forget my true love," said the bouldering-dedicated climber from Celje.



The successes of Slovenian sport climbers, who have shaped the world top for years, are the result of good, planned, and persistent work by national teams, coaches, and climbers, their passionate dedication and effort — so on home soil they deserve our strong live support.



Tickets for the Kranj competition are available at the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia headquarters in Ljubljana during office hours, at Eventim sales points across Slovenia, and online. Saturday qualifications are free for all; entry to all events is free for children up to and including 12 years old. Admission for Saturday semi-final is €6 or €5 for PZS and AS Club members; for Sunday final €12 or €10 for members. Until 23 November inclusive, fans can secure a two-day ticket at the promotional price of €12 or €10 for members. If not sold out, tickets will be available at the Zlato polje hall entrance on 26 November from 18:30 and 27 November from 14:30.



Detailed information is on the competition website, where all results after qualifications, semi-final, and final will be published, along with photos. Everything will also be promptly posted on the PZS website and PZS Facebook page.



The competition will be available live via the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC); the Sunday final on 27 November at 16:30 will also be broadcast on TV Slovenia channel 2. Media sponsor of WC Kranj 2016 is Val 202. General sponsor is Telekom Slovenije, gold sponsor Adriatic Slovenica.