The IFSC World Championships in Innsbruck (AUT) left one indelible impression: Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret is the favorite to win the women’s event at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Still 19, she was the star of the Worlds with a gold medal in the Bouldering event, ahead of two-time bronze medalist Akiyo Noguchi (JPN), was runner-up to Austria’s Jessica Pilz in the Lead event on time and then overpowered everyone to win the Combined title with just 4.00 points, well ahead of Korea’s Sol Sa (10.00) and Pilz (24.00).
Only the Combined will be held in Tokyo, so Garnbret’s ability in two events makes her the clear, early favorite.
In the men’s Combined, Lead World Champion Jakob Schubert showed the best balance, winning the Bouldering segment from 2014 World Champion Adam Ondra (CZE), finishing second in Lead to Ondra and then finishing second in Speed to Germany’s Jan Hojer. The combination left him with just 4.00 points to 10.00 for Ondra and 24.00 for Hojer. He’s a slight favorite for Tokyo, as the Japanese climbers did not fare well in Innsbruck. Summaries:
IFSC World Championships
Innsbruck (AUT) ~ 6-16 September 2018
(Full results here)
Men
Bouldering: 1. Kai Harada (JPN), 4T/4z~6; 2. Jongwon Chon (KOR), 3T/4z~19; 3. Gregor Vezonik (SLO), 3T/4z~19; 4. Keita Watabe (JPN), 2T/4z~16; 5. Kokoro Fujii (JPN), 2T/2z~5; 6. Nathan Phillips (GBR), 1T/2z~5.
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+.
Speed/Final: 1. Reza Alipour (IRI), 5.630; 2. Bassa Mawem (FRA), fell; Small Final: 3. Stanislav Kokorin (RUS), 6.028; 4. Qixin Zhong (CHN), fell.
Combined: 1. Schubert (AUT), 4.00 points; 2. Ondra (CZE), 10.00; 3. Jan Hojer (GER), 24.00; 4. Kai Harada (JPN), 60.00; 5. Tomoa Narasaki (JPN), 72.00; 6. Kokoro Fujii (JPN), 90.00.
Women
Bouldering: 1. Janja Garnbret (SLO), 2T/3z~7; 2. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN), 2T/2z~4;
3. Stasa Gejo (SRB), 1T/2z~1; 4. Jessica Pilz (AUT), 0T/2z~0; 5. Miho Nonaka (JPN), 0T/2z~0; 6. Petra Klingler (SUI), 0T/0z-0.
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+.
Speed/Final: 1. Aleksandra Rudzinska (POL), 7.560; 2. Anna Brozek (POL), 7.910. Small Final: 3. Marina Krasavina (RUS); 4. Aleksandra Kalucka (POL), false start.
Combined: 1. Garnbret (SLO), 5.00; 2. Sol Sa (KOR), 12.00; 3. Pilz (AUT), 24.00; 4. Noguchi (JPN), 54.00; 5. Nonaka (JPN), 64.00; 6. Klingler (SUI), 75.00.
