Potočar's Historic Silver

Historical silver for Potočar, with Krampl to the 20th Slovenian medal at the WC.

The World Championship (WC) in sport climbing Moscow 2021 is the fifth consecutive WC from which the Slovenian national team returned with a medal, otherwise in 20 years at world championships it has collected 20 medals. For a new historic achievement in Slovenian sport climbing, Luka Potočar took care on September 21, who became the world vice-champion in lead climbing and the first Slovenian with a medal from the WC in lead, since in this discipline only girls had won them before. His success was complemented by Mia Krampl, world vice-champion in combined, and the new milestone was celebrated at the Slovenian Mountaineering Association in the glow of two silver medals with a cake.



The Slovenian national team in sport climbing has been stacking historic milestones like on a string at the last world championships with Janja Garnbret in the lead role, this year Luka Potočar took care of it with the first men's medal from the WC in lead climbing, and Mia Krampl added her second silver from the WC to the collection, this year in combined. The new milestone was celebrated at the Slovenian Mountaineering Association with a cake for the main actors of the last chapter of this exceptional sport climbing story. "Gold from the Olympics, two silvers from the world championship - exciting achievements! But that's not all, I'm especially happy about the crowd of young people whom these achievements encouraged to start doing sport climbing," on this occasion proudly emphasized the president of PZS Jože Rovan, general secretary Damjan Omerzu added: "Luka's silver medal is the confirmation of the form he showed already in Kranj, and there is no doubt that he belongs among the men's elite of world climbing. It's a pity that this year's season ended due to the cancellation of the remaining competitions, but I believe that thoughts and training will be even more focused on next year."

"Every day I appreciate this achievement more. I receive congratulations from everywhere, the support is really incredible. I hope for as many similar feats in the future and I wish to see even more Slovenians with a medal around their neck - and I have no doubt about that," the new world vice-champion in lead climbing Luka Potočar (ŠPO PD Radovljica) experiences his historic success. Of 20 Slovenian medals from world championships, ten are in lead, nine were climbed by girls, the first male and the tenth in a row is his: "This achievement was just an additional reward and extra momentum for me, before the championship I wasn't even thinking about it. I'm glad I succeeded at this age and that I successfully utilized the good preparedness, which was of course the main reason for the good performance." The nineteen-year-old from Jesenice this year took care of the breakthrough in the senior competition, with silver at the Kranj competition he stepped on the victory podium for the first time, and concluded the world cup season in fourth place in lead. Before departing to Moscow, he said that this year's season needs the dot on the i - with the top of the final route and the title of vice-champion he placed it very sovereignly. "Certainly this dot is quite thick and that's right. With such a result, besides a good conclusion to the season, I added an excellent provision for the upcoming one and more. A season like this one, I was waiting for, since with constantly good results you gain motivation and I certainly did," the young sport climber is to be believed, who showed top preparedness at the championship, both physical and mental, as well as a large measure of maturity, which also emanates from his answers: "Good form was the biggest factor, with which I could calm myself before the entire competition and not just before the final. Besides that, I was aware that in case of a failed performance this is not the last championship and that there will be many such and similar opportunities in the future. However, I cannot say that I climbed without pressure, and that is another thing because of which I succeeded in an excellent performance in the final."

"In addition to exceptional focus and diligence in training, I would highlight his character as the reason for the exceptional performances in this year's season. Both in training and in competitions, various unforeseen complications, stage fright and other disturbing factors really have a hard time derailing him, which I think is a rare and extremely useful trait in top athletes," emphasizes Potočar's long-time trainer Domen Švab, also trainer of the Slovenian national team, and adds that his leap among the best in the senior competition was not as fast as someone might think, since he already showed a pair of incredible performances in the first senior season at 16 years, especially in the qualifying routes of the world cup: "If we dismiss last year's final performance in Briancon, when the competition was reduced due to corona, Luka showed excellent climbing in the semi-final for the first time this year, the final he really climbed well only at the last world cup competition in Kranj. The constancy of excellent performances in the world cup semi-finals and finally the podium in Kranj were confirmation of excellent preparedness and self-confidence before departing to the championship. This was followed by some trainings at home, in which he practically 'flew' on the wall and only confirmed to me and of course to himself that he is really in top form."

Third time's the charm, we could say for Potočar and Russia, since in 2018 in Moscow he already won silver at the youth WC in lead, in 2019 in Voronezh became youth European champion, this year at 19 years he became world vice-champion among seniors, which shows that for him the jump from youth to adult competition was not too hard a nut. "The year 2018 was my first year with seniors and the results were better than I expected, however in the continuation and in the next season there was a quite big drop mainly in results. Then it was not easy, I was collecting experiences that I can use today, and that was the most important," the teenager remains on firm ground, who despite this year's successes in lead climbing has many challenges left, with the thought of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 he will persist also on boulders: "The season is coming with the European championship, which will be one of the main goals, I hope also for as many world cups as possible, from which I nicely said goodbye this year in Kranj. Boulders are always in the training plan from the beginning and also in the next seasons I will persist in that and I am convinced that I can show a lot also in boulders."

Mia Krampl (AO PD Kranj) has already tasted the Olympics this year, 18th at the Olympic premiere of sport climbing. "In Tokyo it didn't quite work out for me and I'm glad that the trainings I invested in the combined were not in vain," emphasized the 2021 world vice-champion in combined, which is the nicest reward for her for the hard work and training of all three disciplines the last two years. In Moscow she achieved her second best time in speed at competitions, in bouldering and especially lead climbing it didn't work out as expected: "For lead I can only say that I was better prepared than my result shows. When I look back, it seems to me that I gave in a bit under pressure, since I climbed very tense in both qualifications and semi-final. From my performance I can draw the realization that in the future I could devote more to mental preparation." Although with the trainer they haven't made plans for the next season yet, she says that they will probably focus on boulders and lead, since the combination of these two disciplines will be a new discipline in Paris. The silver medal in combined is already Krampl's second medal from world championships, after silver from Hachioji two years ago, otherwise the 20th medal for the Slovenian national team. "Unfortunately in lead it didn't click for me like it did in Hachioji. Definitely after the lead competition I wasn't in a good mood and the medal from combined at least a bit softened the failures of previous days. It's a pride for me that my medal is the twentieth medal of our team. Mainly because it's an indicator of how successful the Slovenian national team is. It's an honor for me to be part of such a strong team with such a successful history," is proud the 21-year-old sport climber from Golnik.

The first title of world champion was climbed for Slovenia in 2001 by Martina Čufar, to today - in 20 years - the Slovenian national team in sport climbing has collected a total of 20 medals at world championships. For the most, as many as seven, is responsible Janja Garnbret, multiple world and also the first Olympic champion in the history of sport climbing. With five medals Mina Markovič can boast, with two Maja Vidmar and Mia Krampl, with one medal each Jernej Kruder, Gregor Vezonik and Luka Potočar.

According to the selector's words, in Moscow it didn't work out as expected for the girls, mainly in lead, while the boys did better in both disciplines, in bouldering Anže Peharc was in the final, in lead Potočar shone. "In lead he made a surpass and a nice surprise Luka Potočar already in the semi-final, when he took third place. He transferred good feelings to the final and concluded the performance with the top of the route, which already meant podium, at the end even second place. Among combinators only Mia Krampl was with us, who fought for second place in a slightly reduced competition. She invested a lot of effort in the combined because of the Olympic games and I'm glad she got to a medal at the championship," said the selector of the Slovenian national team in sport climbing Gorazd Hren and drew the line under this year's again exceptional season: "We will remember the season most for two milestones for Slovenian climbing, Janja Garnbret won at the Olympic games, Luka Potočar climbed for us the first male medal at world championships in lead. If I just touch the world cup, I can say that we were successful, we strung many final performances, maybe we didn't always best utilize what was offered, but still Vita Lukan and Luka Potočar climbed their first podium in career. Also we were first in lead and third in bouldering climbing in the nations cup."

In the last years Slovenian climbers have strung incredible successes, at this year's championship it happened for the first time that the boys were more successful in climbing. "The girls at this championship didn't show all they know, personally I believe they are excellently prepared and capable of much more than the results showed, Mia's silver in combined is an enviable result. Silver medal and the title of world vice-champion for Luka Potočar is an achievement we haven't witnessed in Slovenia yet, actually exceptional top level and reflection of hard work of trainer Domn and Luka. Anže has been showing top preparedness for many years and is better every season, I would also highlight Zan Sudar, who in the last period raised the climbing level and completely approached the final," gave the assessment the national team trainer Luka Fonda and looked towards the next season, which will be "a chapter by itself, since there will be no world championship nor Olympic games. The national team awaits the European championship in Germany and world cup competitions, but few are planned in Europe, which means a bigger logistical and economic bite for the national team. Certainly already next season it will start looking towards qualifications for the Olympic games in Paris."

Achievements of Slovenian sport climbers at world championships
Winterthur 2001 Martina Čufar - 1st place, lead.
Avilés 2007 Maja Vidmar - 3rd place, lead.
Xining 2009 Maja Vidmar - 3rd place, lead; Mina Markovič - 3rd place, combined.
Arco 2011 Mina Markovič - 3rd place, combined.
Munich 2014 Jernej Kruder - 2nd place, bouldering; Mina Markovič - 3rd place, combined. Gijón 2014 Mina Markovič - 2nd place, lead.
Paris 2016 Janja Garnbret - 1st place, lead; Mina Markovič - 3rd place, lead.
Innsbruck 2018 Janja Garnbret - 1st place, bouldering; Janja Garnbret - 1st place, combined; Janja Garnbret - 2nd place, lead; Gregor Vezonik - 3rd place, bouldering.
Hachioji 2019 Janja Garnbret - 1st place, bouldering; Janja Garnbret - 1st place, lead; Janja Garnbret - 1st place, combined; Mia Krampl - 2nd place, lead.
Moscow 2021 Luka Potočar - 2nd place, lead; Mia Krampl - 2nd place, combined.