Numerous sport climbing team for the world championship

Large sport climbing delegation to the World Championship Moscow 2021.

After the Olympic Games in Tokyo, sport climbers await another highlight of this year's season. The World Championship in sport climbing will feature 15 members of the Slovenian sport climbing national team between September 15 and 22, 2021, in Moscow, but without the Olympic champion Janja Garnbret, and four members of the Slovenian para climbing national team. The large Slovenian delegation, which has marked this year's excellent season with the breakthrough of some new names among the best, is optimistically heading into the battle for high placements.



The World Cup competition in Kranj with six Slovenian finalists was an excellent send-off for the World Championship in sport climbing Moscow 2021, the second most important event of the season for the Slovenian sport climbing national team after the Olympic Games, which has already won the nations cup in lead, and in bouldering, where the season is not yet over, is currently in third place. "The team will be represented by nine in bouldering, four girls and five boys, and ten in lead, five girls and five boys, while in speed, due to the combination, only Mia will compete. The team selection was based on previous World Cup results and the leadership's impressions. I wouldn't state specific expectations, but definitely the desire is to reach the final and then attack the podium," emphasizes the Slovenian sport climbing national team selector Gorazd Hren.

Slovenia will be represented in Moscow by 15 members of the Slovenian sport climbing national team. Mia Krampl will compete in all individual disciplines and the combination, Vita Lukan, Lučka Rakovec, and Anže Peharc in lead and bouldering, as lead specialists heading to Russia are Lana Skušek, Tjaša Slemenšek, Luka Potočar, Domen Škofic, Martin Bergant, and Milan Preskar, for bouldering then Katja Debevec, Jernej Kruder, Gregor Vezonik, Zan Lovenjak Sudar, and Matic Kotar. The competitors will be accompanied by selector and coach Gorazd Hren, coaches Luka Fonda and Domen Švab, and physiotherapist Tjaša Kocjančič.



In the absence of the current Olympic and world champion Janja Garnbret, who decided to skip this competition, the top name of the women's team traveling to Russia is the world vice-champion Mia Krampl (AO PD Kranj), also the Slovenian representative at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she placed 18th. As she says, in Moscow she will compete in all three disciplines for the icing on the cake of Olympic trainings: "The last two years I have devoted a lot of time to speed and bouldering climbing, so it would be a pity not to make the most of these trainings. Otherwise, since the Olympic Games, I haven't climbed a speed route, but I would still like (probably) for the last time in my life to compete in the combination. The twenty-one-year-old climber from Golnik won silver in lead climbing two years ago at the World Championship in Tokyo, which remains her main discipline this year as well: "Despite all the boulder and speed trainings, I still consider myself a lead climber, although I didn't train it as much as I would in a normal season. But I wish to achieve a good result in bouldering as well."

For her most successful season to date, Vita Lukan (ŠPO PD Radovljica) has ensured this year, who in Briançon first stepped on the podium among seniors and finished the World Cup season in lead in overall fourth place. "This year's results are a weave of many factors, but I would definitely highlight greater self-confidence, which I lacked in previous years precisely in key moments. After a good start to the season, I approached each subsequent competition more relaxed, which was reflected in my climbing. I still can't say it's perfect, as errors still occur, but it seems to me I'm on the right path. Also in terms of physical preparation, I made a step forward, as last year, when there were no competitions, I really focused on my weaknesses and improved them," emphasizes the 20-year-old from Radovljica, seventh at WC Tokyo 2019, this year aiming even higher: "In Moscow, I will compete first in bouldering and then in lead. As at the last championship, this year I also put more emphasis on lead trainings, which has proven to be my stronger discipline. Making the final was my goal at the previous championship, where unfortunately I didn't take advantage of the opportunity for higher places, this year the goal is to show the climbing I'm capable of in all rounds of the competition, consequently I can expect a good result as well."

Lučka Rakovec (PK FA) this year also regularly made the finals and concluded the season in fifth place in the overall World Cup lead standings. "This year's fairly consistent results are of course a nice send-off for the World Championship in Moscow, and with the final at the last competition in Kranj, I showed that my current form is good, and I hope with the last few trainings I added the icing on the cake," reflects the 20-year-old from Ljubljana, who missed the lead final by a hair at the previous WC: "In Moscow, I'm competing in both lead and bouldering - although they're not my primary discipline, I hope for a good result, and definitely I'll try to improve on the results from the previous world championship in both disciplines."

The current European champion in bouldering, and in 2014 also the world vice-champion in this discipline, is Jernej Kruder (ŠPO PD Celje Matica), who in Moscow not only won the continental title but also already stepped on the World Cup podium. "Moscow is really my dear place. Given all the results I've achieved there, I'm happily returning. This time I spent a few more days on artificial walls, but I managed to recharge my energy at the end of August in Switzerland. I'm traveling to Moscow without higher goals, but with a lot of positivity," says the 30-year-old climber from Škofja vas.

This year, Luka Potočar (ŠPO PD Radovljica) also made a breakthrough in the senior category, who with silver at the Kranj competition first stepped on the podium, and concluded the World Cup season in fourth place in lead. "Certainly, the experiences I gathered in previous seasons contributed most to the successes. Last year in Briançon also the first experience with a World Cup final, which gave me extra motivation for this year's season, which still needs the icing on the cake, and I hope it gets it in Moscow. Additionally, physical strength itself, which increases every year. I also hope for a bit more luck than I had in Tokyo and also in Innsbruck. At both championships so far, I had a lot of reserve left and I hope this year in Moscow it won't be. A lot of experiences have accumulated and I'll use them to my advantage," the 19-year-old from Jesenice is determined.

After a slightly worse start to the season, Domen Škofic (ŠPO PD Radovljica) in Kranj, where he missed the podium by half a move, showed that his preparedness is rising. The twenty-seven-year-old from Radovljica was, except for the last one, a finalist at three consecutive world championships, achieving two fourths and a fifth place, so he's looking forward to the world test again: "Form can always be better, but I'm currently very satisfied with it. Throughout the season, I had trouble transferring it to the competition. The World Cup in Kranj, except for the semi-final, I climbed as I know how, and it's a great send-off for the World Championship in Moscow. I believe and bet on my main discipline."



The Slovenian para climbing national team has already departed for the World Championship in Moscow, operating under the leadership of selector Jurij Ravnik and returning from three previous para climbing championships with a medal. This year, the team consists of four members, competition veterans Gregor Selak in the limited movement category RP3 and Tanja Glušič in the limited vision category B2, Matej Arh in the limited movement category RP1, and newcomer Manca Smrekar in category RP3.


"This year, we have two World Cup competitions behind us already. In Innsbruck, Selak won bronze, in Briançon he was replaced on the third step by Glušič, and at both competitions, all competitors were right on the edge of the final, Smrekar best fourth and Arh sixth. After a season without competitions, this year we probably had the most extensive preparations. Nevertheless, we'll approach this year's world championship more cautiously in terms of expectations. All competitors are in good form and can - some with a little luck - count on the final or even more. Above all, we don't know if this year's trend of overhanging routes will continue, which means a big difference in para climbing, nor how the categories will look, as almost half the climbers will be newly classified - and on that account, our competitors could get some strong rivals. Daily form, route setters, and more will decide a lot," emphasized before departing to Moscow the selector of the Slovenian para climbing national team Jurij Ravnik: "We place the most hopes for a medal on the most experienced competitor Greg Selak, who already has a nice collection of awards from world championships. For Tanja, unfortunately, it must be said that with all the health issues she had this year, it's a real miracle that she's so competitive for the final. For Matej and Manca, I hope they'll bet on relaxation and surprise with a good result."

With three bronze medals from world championships - in 2016 in Paris, 2018 in Innsbruck, and 2019 in Briançon - Gregor Selak (Society for the Development of Climbing Culture) can boast, a former member of the youth sport climbing national team, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014, and since 2016 successfully continuing his sports path as a para climber. "I'm traveling to Moscow with the wish to enjoy all the routes and climb as I know how. Of course, this is the main goal of the season for me and all other competitors. Let the battle for the world champion title begin," announces the 32-year-old from Škofja Loka, this year already third and fourth at World Cup competitions. Two more para climbing medals - silver in 2014 in Gijón and bronze in 2018 in Innsbruck - were won for Slovenia by the deaf-blind climber Tanja Glušič (AK Ravne).


The World Championship in Moscow begins with para climbers, who have qualifications on Wednesday and Thursday and the final on Friday, September 17 - the live broadcast will be via the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) website. Sport climbers start the competition with speed trials on Thursday, bouldering is on the schedule from Friday to Sunday, lead on Monday and Tuesday - live broadcasts will be on the IFSC website, the final will also be broadcast by TV Slovenia (speed September 16, bouldering September 18 and 19, and lead September 21).