Both men and women battled the heat and humidity for Speed finals places
When Veddriq Leonardo stood on top of the Speed Climbing podium at Paris 2024 a nation rejoiced – fitting then that an IFSC Speed World Cup would take place in Indonesia so soon after that historic moment.
In Bali the Speed climbers got underway with qualification ready for an evening of finals racing.
Another Paris 2024 gold medallist is safely through with Poland’s Aleksandra Miroslaw trying to right a Wujiang wrong: “The conditions were different than a week ago, but I like it. My personal feeling is that I feel better than a week ago. I was struggling inside and fighting all the time, and now I feel ok and on point and I am enjoying this competition.”
In such a beautiful place, attention can get turned from the job at hand, but Miroslaw feels she has things under control in that respect: “You need to find a balance between holiday and work, but I think I am managing that well.”
Miroslaw's time of 6.34s was the best time of the day while 7.36 was needed to make the final 16. USA’s Isis Rothfork and France’s Capucine Viglione made the cut.
For Rothfork it was a new competition benchmark, but she feels she can get even lower: “I have a new competition PB, my actually PB is 6.80 so there is still a big difference between my competition and in practice PB, and hopefully I can get closer in this event.”
That time came despite a big difference in environment for the American: “My qualification was fun. The heat and humidity was challenging for me as I’m from a very dry place so it’s a different climbing environment.”
The home crowd will have four to cheer in the women’s finals with world champion Dewi Desak joined by teammates Adi Asih Kadek, Alivany Ver Khadijah and Susan Nurhidayah. Kadek had the quickest time of 7.00s for sixth placed among the team.
Women’s finals competitors
- Aleksandra MIROSLAW (POL) 6.34
- ZHOU Yafei (CHN) 6.44
- Natalia KALUCKA Natalia (POL) 6.59
- JEONG Jimin (KOR) 6.59
- DENG Lijuan (CHN) 6.64
- Adi Asih KADEK (INA) 7.00
- ZHANG Mengli (CHN) 7.04
- Leslie Adriana ROMERO PÉREZ (ESP) 7.20
- Desak MADE RITA KUSUMA DEWI (INA) 7.22
- SUNG Hanareum (KOR) 7.23
- Patrycja CHUDZIAK (POL) 7.26
- Alivany VER KHADIJAH (INA) 7.30
- Sophia CURCIO (USA) 7.33
- Susan NURHIDAYAH (INA) 7.35
- Isis ROTHFORK (USA) 7.36
- Capucine VIGLIONE (FRA) 7.36
Full women’s Speed results can be found here
In the men’s Kiromal Katibin led the way with a 4.87s run. His other run was a fall, which he needs to avoid inn the finals if he is to go all the way to a Bali gold.
Despite the fall, Katibin is focusing on the positive sides of his racing*: “I feel good. I felt I had a good time; I enjoyed it and got a fast time under five seconds. I’m really excited for the finals; I have my brother here watching me.”*
There were another two sub-5 runs with USA’s Sam Watson and another home climber, Raharjati Nursamsa, meaning both made it through in the top three for a finals place. Olympic champion Leonardo also made the cut in sixth.
Winning a first World Cup medal in Wujiang last time out, Ukraine’s Hryhorii Ilchyshyn is joined in the finals by teammates Yaroslav Tkach and Kostianyn Pavelnko.
The time to qualify for finals for the men was 5.26s, and that was posted by France’s Pierre Rebreyend.
Although not making the finals, the Singapore Speed climbers continue their progression with Andre Ho Jin Rui setting a national record and Ezell Qing Wei Low dropping his competitive times after only a short time in the sport.
Low said: “My first World Cup was in Wujiang and I slipped both runs, so my best was like eight point something. I hit 5.5 in my warm-up in Wujiang, and although I only hit 5.8 here, I’m still happy about it. I only started Speed climbing last year so to be here is crazy.”
Talking about Speed climbing in Singapore Low said: “There’s only two of us, and no females. And we don’t have a coach. We train five or six times a week, but on our own. We have a Speed wall, which is still better than some countries though.”
Keep an eye out for Singapore on the Speed world stage in the future.
Men’s finals competitors
- Kiromal KATIBIN (INA) 4.87
- Samuel WATSON (USA) 4.93
- Rahajati NURSAMSA (INA) 4.95
- CHU Shouhong (CHN) 5.04
- Hryhorii ILCHYSHYN (UKR) 5.12
- Veddriq LEONARDO (INA) 5.12
- Yaroslav TKACH (UKR) 5.16
- LONG Jianguo (CHN) 5.16
- Amir MAIMURATOV (KAZ) 5.16
- FUJINO Shuto (JPN) 5.22
- Kostiantyn PAVLENKO (UKR) 5.22
- OMASA Ryo (JPN) 5.24
- Antasyafi ROBBY AL HILMI (INA) 5.25
- SHI Zechuan (CHN) 5.260
- Beknur ALTYNBEKOV (KAZ) 5.26
- Pierre REBREYEND (FRA) 5.26
Full men’s Speed results can be found here
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