Mina and Maja in the final

The semi-finals of the final World Cup event in lead climbing Kranj 2013 have concluded. Among the world's top eight climbers, the best Slovenian representatives Mina Markovič and Maja Vidmar have qualified for today's final at 5 p.m., just like last year. The World Cup Kranj 2013, which has attracted 100 competitors from 22 countries, is taking place under the auspices of the International Federation of Sport Climbing IFSC.

The Zlato polje Sports Hall in Kranj is the venue this weekend, November 16 and 17, for the final World Cup event in lead climbing. The SP Kranj 2013 event in the Zlato polje Sports Hall is of age this year, as it is the 18th World Cup lead climbing event hosted in Kranj. The entire world sport climbing elite, a total of 100 climbers (41 women and 59 men) from 22 countries, has gathered in Kranj for the eighth and final event of this year's World Cup. All eyes are on our climbers led by Mina Markovič. Our top competitor Mina Markovič is defending her double overall World Cup lead victory from 2011 and 2012 in Kranj and is fighting for the third consecutive time for the Crystal Globe in lead climbing and combined.



CURRENT standings in the overall World Cup lead: WOMEN, MEN (Source: IFSC)

Mina Markovič is currently in 2nd place with 595 points, 30 points behind Korean Jain Kim in the current overall World Cup lead standings, with Japanese Momoka Oda in third place, who can no longer contend for first. In seven out of eight IFSC World Cup lead events this year, Mina has qualified for every final, winning three times, finishing second three times, and once Mina Markovič in semi-final, photo Stanko Grudenfourth. This event in Kranj will decide the overall winner in the women's category -> between our Mina and Jain.

Even before the end of the SP event in Kranj, it is clear that Mina Markovič is practically the WINNER of the 2013 World Cup in combined, which includes the five best results from two out of three disciplines (lead, bouldering, speed), so we will definitely hear the Slovenian anthem in Kranj.



The Slovenian team, led by head coach of the senior national team Simon Margon, is competing in the following lineup: in women's competition Mina Markovič, Maja Vidmar, Tina Šušteršič, Jera Lenardič, Katja Kadič, Tjaša Kalan, and Anja Šerbinek; in men's Domen Škofic, Urban Primožič, Jure Bečan, Klemen Bečan, Jure Raztresen, Sergej Epih, Jernej Kruder, Gregor Vezonik, Martin Bergant, and Gašper Pintar.

More about Slovenian competitors at SP Kranj 2013.



QUALIFICATIONS and SEMI-FINALS:

In the semi-final route, 26 of the world's best male climbers and 27 female climbers competed for entry into tomorrow's final in their semi-final route. From qualifications, as many as 10 Slovenian representatives (out of 17 competing in Kranj) successfully advanced to the semi-finals, making the largest team among all nations in both categories (5 and 5), namely in men's: Urban Primožič (1st after quals., tied with 13 others), Domen Škofic, Sergej Epih, Jure Raztresen, and Klemen Bečan; in women's: Mina Markovič with 1st qualification place having topped both tops (6 competitors reached both tops), Maja Vidmar with one top in 7th place, Tjaša Kalan (24th in quals.), Jera Lenardič (25th), and Tina Šušteršič (26th). Anja Šerbinek (34th) and Katja Kadič (38th) did not advance to semi-finals and ended the competition, nor did the men: Gašper Pintar who stayed just below the top 26 in 27th place, Jure Bečan (32nd), Martin Bergant (36th), Gregor Vezonik (43rd), and Jernej Kruder in 44th place.



Our climbers performed excellently in the semi-finals; the semi-final route was excellently set for both women and men, our route setters excelled again. Jure Raztresen surprised by achieving the best result in men's competition, while there were no major surprises among the women. Tina Šušteršič placed 26th, Tjaša Kalan 16th, Jera Lenardič 20th, while Maja Vidmar with 8th result and Mina Markovič with 2nd place advanced to the final. In men's: Jure Raztresen performed best, achieving 9th place like Urban Primožič last year and staying just outside the final eight, Sergej Epih 12th, Klemen Bečan 16th, Urban Primožič 17th, and Domen Škofic (whose performance failed) ended in 24th place.



STATEMENTS AFTER SEMI-FINALS:

Coach Simon Margon, who is also one of the route setters, assessed the routes and our performances as follows: "Regarding route setting ... nothing different - with a good team, it's established practice. The semi-final routes were set so that roughly only one top per route was expected; both were short by practically one move (semi-final), which is significantly better than having two at the top.

Assessment of our competitors: with coach Roman Krajnc, we were very satisfied with the qualification results, 10 semi-finalists, a great team success. The guys Urban and Domen did not meet expectations, as they are truly in top form. However, both made a mistake in the upper part of the route and stayed out of the final. Jure Raztresen was the positive surprise, who had quite a few form fluctuations during the season but climbed excellently and finished just behind the final. Among the girls, Mina showed excellent climbing despite some technical mistakes, and perhaps it will be even easier for her tomorrow to attack for victory from today's second place. With Maja, we can be happy that despite still having finger issues, she climbed to her 11th final at SP events in Kranj, thus having a perfect record of finals from all her SP events in Kranj. Among the young women, Tjaša Kalan performed excellently, achieving 16th place with very good climbing. The other two climbed averagely, but I'm still satisfied that they remain in touch with the best."



Mina Markovič, second in the current SP lead standings and second after semi-final: "I feel good. Climbing here in Kranj is always great, the fans create the atmosphere. It was a long and tiring day, and I squeezed everything out of myself in the semi-final, so now I can hardly wait to go home and rest. Tomorrow there's a new route ahead of me, and I'm already looking forward to it - as well as the crowd, with whom we'll have a great time in the final and everyone will enjoy. Welcome to Kranj!"



Maja Vidmar, 3rd here in Kranj last year, and today she confidently qualified for the final: "Before the competition, I felt very good, as well as in qualifications. Then I got a bit nervous before entering the semi-final route, my hands and feet were shaking a little. But I told myself, I'll go climb and whatever happens. And it was great. I'm very satisfied. What happened today is no longer important, tomorrow is a new action and I'll go full throttle again. All today's routes were good, as I expected, and I didn't think otherwise, since the route setters are an excellent team."



FINAL will be tomorrow, Sunday, at 5 p.m., when the 8 finalists will inspect the final route, and women will start their final after the men's final ends.



RESULTS after semi-finals (Source: SP Kranj 2013)

women

1. Jain KIM, KOR

2. Mina MARKOVIČ, SLO

8. Maja VIDMAR, SLO

...

16. Tjaša Kalan, SLO

20. Jera Lenardič, SLO

26. Tina Šušteršič, SLO

34. Anja Šerbinek, SLO

38. Katja Kadič, SLO



Total: 41 competitors.

Men: 59 competitors.







men

1. Ramón JULIAN PUIGBLANQUE, ŠPA

1. Hyunbin MIN, KOR

3. Sachi Amma, JAP

3. Jakob SCHUBERT, AVT

...

9. Jure Raztresen, SLO

12. Sergej Epih, SLO

16. Klemen Bečan, SLO

17. Urban Primožič, SLO

24. Domen Škofic, SLO

27. Gašper Pintar, SLO

32. Martin BERGANT, SLO

33. Jure Bečan, SLO

43. Gregor Vezonik, SLO

44. Jernej Kruder, SLO