SPORT CLIMBING: Miroslaw repeats as women’s speed champ, while Fossali falls into men’s world title

Joy for World Speed Champion Ludovico Fossali (ITA) (Photo: IFSC/Eddie Fowke)

The IFSC World Championships in Hachioji (JPN) took a strange turn in the Speed competition, with one champion confirming her status and the men’s competition almost disintegrating.

None of the Bouldering or Lead medalists figured to have any say in the Speed event and they didn’t. Among the women, Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret was the best, finishing 23rd. Among the Speed specialists, defending champion Aleksandra Miroslaw had the fastest mark in the qualifying (7.377), the third-fastest in the Round of 16 (7.472) and the second-best in the quarterfinals (7.337).

In the semis, the two fastest climbers faced off: China’s 18-year-old YiLing Song, whose 7.192 in the quarters was the fastest of the day, and Miroslaw. The Pole scaled the 15 m wall in 7.337, but Song fell and Miroslaw was going to get the chance to defend her title. Opposing would be China’s Di Niu, 22, who knocked out French star Anouck Jaubert.

It wasn’t close. Miroslaw posted the fastest time of the day – 7.129 – to reach the top first, with Niu at 8.363. Jaubert won the bronze at 7.534 as Song slipped, and finished in 9.768.

The men’s event advanced smoothly into the quarterfinals and then got crazy. Tomoa Narasaki (JPN) was the best of the Bouldering and Lead medalists in 22nd. The fastest qualifier was 2012 Worlds bronze medalist Dmitrii Timofeev of Russia at 5.542, but he was promptly bounced out of the Round of 16.

In the quarterfinals, Russia’s Stanislav Korkorin, a three-time Worlds medalist, had the fastest climb at 5.808. Italy’s Ludovico Fossali advanced because QiXin Zhong of China suffered a false start. In the semis, Fossali advanced again without climbing thanks to another false start from 2014 World Champion Danyil Boldyrev (UKR). Jan Kriz (CZE) was also an upset winner in his semi, as Korkorin fell.

In the final, Fossali actually did climb, finishing in 6.871 seconds, while Kriz fell. Korkorin won the bronze in the fastest time since the Round of 16 in 5.835, but Fossali is now World Champion!

There is prize money for the Worlds, for the top six placers in each discipline: € 3,990-2.490-1,445-783-508-375 (€1=$1.12). Next up is the Combined competition, which will be the one held in Tokyo in 2020. Summaries so far:

IFSC World Championships
Hachioji (JPN) ~ 11-21 August 2019
(Full results here)

Men

Bouldering: 1. Tomoa Narasaki (JPN), 2t4z ~ 12/20; 2. Jakob Schubert (AUT), 0t3z ~ 0/10; 3. Yannick Flohe (GER), 0t3z ~ 0/13; 4. Kokoro Fujii (JPN), 0t3z ~ 0/18; 5. Keita Dohi (JPN), ot2z ~ 0/9; 6. Adam Ondra (CZE), 0t0z ~ 0/0.

Lead: 1. Ondra (CZE), 34+; 2. Alexander Megos (GER), 33+; 3. Schubert (AUT), 33+; 4. Narasaki (JPN), 30; 5. Sean McColl (CAN), 30; 6. Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA), 29+; 7. Kai Harada (JPN), 28+; 8. Hannes Puman (SWE), 27+.

Speed ~ Final: 1. Ludovico Fossali (ITA), 6.871; 2. Jan Criz (CZE), fell. Third: Stanislav Kokorin (RUS), 5.835; 4. Danyil Boldyrev (UKR), 5.934.

Women

Bouldering: 1. Janja Garnbret (SLO), 3t3z ~ 8/8; 2. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN), 2t2z ~ 4/2; 3. Shauna Coxsey (GBR), 2t2z ~ 6/6; 4. Ievgeniia Kazbekova (UKR), 1t2z ~ 3/4; 5. Miho Nonaka (JPN), 1t2z ~ 5.6; 6. Nanako Kura (JPN), 0t1z ~ 0/1.

Lead: 1. Garnbret (SLO), 43+; 2. Mia Krampl (AUT), 39+; 3. Ai Mori (JPN), 38+; 4. Chae-Hyun Seo (KOR), 38+; 5. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN0, 38+; 6. Jessica Pilz (AUT), 35+; 7. Vita Lukan (SLO), 30+; 8. Julia Chanourdie (FRA), 30+.

Speed ~ Final: 1. Aleksandra Miroslaw (POL), 7.129; 2. Di Niu (CHN), 8.363. Third: 3. Anouck Jaubert (FRA), 7.534; 4. YiLing Song (CHN), 9.768.