World Cup Lead Climbing Competition

Mina Markovič's victory at the World Cup lead climbing competition and the youth world championship in Canada this week.



This weekend, the second World Cup lead climbing event of the year organized by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) took place in Imst, Austria, where the Slovenian sport climbing team also competed and achieved another success with Mina Markovič's victory. Mina is defending her two consecutive overall World Cup titles in lead and combined this year. The youth will compete next week at the youth world championship in lead, with high expectations.



After the European Championships in lead, where Mina Markovič won the silver medal as European vice-champion, after the first IFSC World Cup 2013 lead climbing event in Briançon, France, where Mina took silver, and after Mina's victory in lead at the World Games in Cali (Colombia) – the Olympics for non-Olympic sports – the Slovenian competitors participated in the SECOND IFSC World Cup 2013 lead climbing event in Imst. Representing Slovenia were: Maja Vidmar, Mina Markovič, Tina Šušteršič, Jera Lenardič, Katja Kadič, Sergej Epih, Jure Raztresen, Urban Primožič, and Martin Bergant.

Domen Škofic, who won the youth European vice-champion title in lead climbing at the youth European Championships in Imst, skipped this senior event because after the World Games in Cali, where he placed 8th, he had already traveled to Canada for the youth world championship in lead from August 15-19, 2013 (more on this at the end of the article).



In Friday evening's semifinals, all our female representatives and three males qualified, totaling 8 Slovenians, with only Jure Raztresen missing out (40th place). In Saturday's final, only Mina Markovič qualified, our best sport climber, who is defending her two consecutive overall World Cup titles in lead and combined this year.

In the semifinals, Mina took first place, shared with Austrian Magdalena Röck, while the others achieved the following final positions: 11th Tina Šušteršič, who excellently improved her qualification placing and achieved her best result in senior competition at top-level events, 15th Maja Vidmar, 24th Katja Kadič, and 25th Jera Lenardič.

In the final, Mina outperformed everyone and secured another victory, stepping onto the podium for the second time this year in World Cup lead events. Second was Japanese climber Momoka Oda (she fell on the same hold as Mina, but Mina secured the win due to better semifinal performance), third was South Korean Jain Kim.



In the overall World Cup standings, Markovič leads with 180 points ahead of Kim (165) and French climber Hélène Janicot (120), who finished fourth.

In the Lead Nations Cup, Slovenia is third (156 points), behind only Japan (177) and leading France (275).



As the winner told the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) after the final in the famous Tyrolean climbing gym, "the season is unfolding just as I could wish, and as I know I'm prepared for." The 25-year-old Markovič from Ptuj added: "Because of the late evening final, I had to stay focused and ready for all the moves in the route throughout the day. I think I succeeded well. In the final, I climbed quite quickly because the route was easy for me, although quite long, but at the end, I was a bit sorry I didn't stay focused enough to squeeze those last two moves to the top, as I still had plenty of strength. I didn't look at the scoreboard right away and didn't know if I had won. They told me a bit later. At that moment, I felt only a hint of disappointment because there really weren't many moves left, but I still had the power," said Markovič after her 11th World Cup lead victory overall, having collected 13 World Cup wins, plus two in bouldering.



On special preparation before the decisive part of the competition, the Ptuj native says: "I think the best is to believe in your preparation, focus on the route, and show what you have in it. And that's it. My coach (note STA Roman Krajnik) explained before the final what I did well in the semis and just wished me to climb as I know how. We knew right away what time it was. I felt fine. We have known for some time that I'm very well prepared; all that's left is to climb it, which sounds easier than it actually is."



She went to Imst still under the impressions of the World Games in Cali: "Because of the travel, doubts arose since I wouldn't climb for a few days, but they proved unfounded. Before the World Cup, I did some light climbing to regain the feel and tone. My coach and I talked a lot; he told me everything was in perfect order and that form can't just disappear if I don't climb for two days. My doubts were more about my desire and passion for climbing, wanting to do it every day. More important was resting upon return from Cali, focusing on the new competition, and switching my mind to Imst," revealed Markovič, who finished the last two seasons as double overall World Cup winner in lead and combined.

Continuing: "The lead season has just really started. The last month was quite tense, but it will remain tense. Now I'll be home for about 14 days, time for training again, followed by some rest and daily routine, then the last World Cup bouldering in Munich awaits, a week later the European Championships in bouldering in Eindhoven, then a rush with the master in Arc and Adidas master in bouldering in Stuttgart," listed the Slovenian sport climber's schedule after Imst. There are still six lead World Cup events until the end of the season. The next is September 20-21 in Puurs, and the season will conclude with the traditional final World Cup event in Kranj on November 16-17.



RESULTS (Source: IFSC)

Women (total competitors: 35)

1. Mina Markovič, SLO

2. Momoka ODA, JAP

3. Jain Kim, KOR

…

11. Tina Šušteršič, SLO

15. Maja Vidmar, SLO

24. Katja Kadič, SLO

25. Jera Lenardič, SLO Men (total competitors: 41)

1. Sachi AMMA, JAP

2. Jakob Schubert, AVT

3. Ramón Julian Puigblanque, ŠPA

…

12. Urban Primožič, SLO

15. Sergej Epih, SLO

26. Martin Bergant, SLO

40. Jure Raztresen, SLO



Spectators and fans could watch the World Cup event LIVE via the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) website.



IFSC WORLD CUP 2013 – LEAD

19–20.7. Briancon (France)

9.–10.8. Imst (Austria)

20.–21.9. Puurs (Belgium)

27.–29.9. Perm (Russia) 12.–13.10. Wujiang (China)

19.–20.10. Mokpo (Korea)

1.–2.11. Valence (France)

16.–17.11. Kranj (Slovenia) - finale



NEXT UP this week is the YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN LEAD (and speed – where our competitors are not participating), taking place from August 15 to 19 in the Canadian town of Central Saanich. Slovenia will be represented by 5 top youth competitors who earned their ticket to Canada with their successes, departing today, August 12, 2013. Under the leadership of youth national team selector in sport climbing Borut Kavzar, the youth world championship participants will be: European champion among junior girls Janja Garnbret, European vice-champion in lead among cadets Martin Bergant, Anže Peharc, current world champion among junior boys despite not having his best results this year, junior Jera Lenardič, and world vice-champion Domen Škofic (youth). Expectations are high, as Slovenia won gold and two silvers at the recent youth European Championships in lead.