Sport climbing is supposed to be about climbing, right? Well, sometimes it’s about speed.
Both the Men’s and Women’s Lead titles were won by which of two athletes got to the end first, as Jakob Schubert (AUT) and Adam Ondra (CZE) both cleared 36+ holds in the men’s event and Jessica Pilz (AUT) and Janja Garnbret (SLO) both climbed to the top of wall at the IFSC World Championships in Innsbruck (AUT).
In the end, the loud crowd in attendance was rewarded with two Austrian wins. For Schubert, it’s his second title after 2012 and he kept Ondra from winning his third straight title. Ondra defeated Schubert for the 2016 world title.
Pilz, who rocketed to the top of the climbing world – pun intended – this year, kept Garnbret from repeating as Lead champion and won her first title. Former champ Jain Kim (KOR) finished third to claim her fifth medal finish in the last six World Championships.
The Worlds continue through 15 September. Summaries so far:
IFSC World Championships
Innsbruck (AUT) ~ 6-16 September 2018
(Full results here)
Men
Lead: 1. Jakob Schubert (AUT), 36+; 2. Adam Ondra (CZE), 36+; 3. Alexander Megos (GER), 33.5; 4. Meichi Natasaki (JPN), 31+; 5. Domen Skofic (SLO), 29+; 6. tie, Jakub Konecny (CZE) and Tomoaki Takata (JPN), 29+; 8. Sascha Lehmann (SUI), 23; 9. Marcello Bombardi (ITA), 20+; 10. Kai Harada (JPN), 16+.
Women
Lead: 1. Jessica Pilz (AUT), Top; 2. Janja Garnbret (SLO), Top; 3. Jain Kim (KOR), 34+; 4. Mai Kotake (JPN), 33+; 5. Ashima Shiraishi (USA), 32; 6. Anak Verhoeven (BEL), 31+; 7. Mia Krampl (SLO), 31+; 8. tie, Akiyo Noguchi (JPN) and Hannah Schubert (AUT), 31+; 10. Laura Rogora (ITA), 24+.
