Two new names are World Cup champions in the Bouldering division of Sport Climbing as Slovenia’s Jernej Kruder and Japan’s Miho Nonaka held on to their leads at the final event of the year in Munich (GER).
Both came in with tiny leads in their events: Kruder had a four-point edge over Japan’s 2016 World Cup winner Tomoa Narasaki and Nonaka was just five points ahead of countrywoman Akiyo Noguchi.
As it turned out, neither Kruder or Nonaka won. Instead, it was Slovenians Gregor Verzonik, who claimed his first career World Cup win, and Janja Garnbret, who competed in only her third Bouldering World Cup and got her second win to move up to fourth in the seasonal standings.
But Kruder and Nonaka both finished second, just enough to give them the season titles. As Narasaki tied for ninth in Munich, Kruder won the overall title buy 442-400. But Nonaka finished second only because she took just five tries to claim four Tops and four zones, while Noguchi took seven for the same results. So, in the seasonal standings, it was Nonaka 500 and Noguchi, 495. Summaries:
IFSC World Cup
Munich (GER) ~ 17-18 August 2018
(Full results here)
Men/Bouldering: 1. Gregor Vezonik (SLO), 2T4z ~ 12; 2. Jernej Kruder (SLO), 2T3z ~ 9; 3. Jakob Schubert (AUT), 2T3z ~ 19; 4. Yoshiyuki Ogata (JPN), 2T3z ~ 11; 5. Yuji Fujiwaki (JPN), 2T2z ~ 5.
Bouldering/Final Standings: 1. Jernej Kruder (SLO), 442; 2. Tomoa Narasaki (JPN), 400; 3. Rei Sugimoto (JPN), 334; 4. Alexsei Rubtsov (RUS), 296; 5. Gregor Vezonik (SLO), 280.
Women/Bouldering: 1. Janja Garnbret (SLO), 4T4z ~ 4; 2. Miho Nonaka (JPN), 4T4z ~ 5; 3. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN), 4T4z ~ 7; 4. Fanny Gibert (FRA), 1T4z ~ 1; 5. Katja Kadic (SLO), 1T2z ~ 1.
Bouldering/Final Standings: 1. Miho Nonaka (JPN), 500; 2. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN), 495; 3. Fanny Gibert (FRA), 320; 4. Janja Garnbret (SLO), 280; 5. Katja Kadic (SLO), 246.
