TEAM USA TAKES FOUR GOLDS AT PARACLIMBING WORLD CUP IN SALT LAKE CITY
The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Paraclimbing World Cup Series 2023 kicked off at The Front Climbing Club in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, where a spectacular round of finals closed the event.
Visually impaired sport classes were the first one to climb, and the competition couldn’t get off with a better start: home favourites Seneida Biendarra and Phoebe Barkan of the USA took first and second place respectively, with Biendarra securing the top of the route and finishing with the gold medal around her neck on her IFSC debut.
Barkan, also a first-time World Cup participant, took silver; and Ionela Grecu of Romania completed the podium in third place.
For the women’s B3 complete results click here.
The men’s B sport classes finished with wins for Aita Sho of Japan and Cosmin Florin Candoi of Romania. Both Aita and Candoi were the only climbers to reach the top hold on their respective route
In the men’s B1 Lead event, Aita was followed by Francisco Javier Aguilar Amoedo of Spain and Razvan Nedu of Romania, who respectively won silver and bronze. Alongside Candoi, the men’s B3 podium featured Guillermo Pelegrín Gómez of Spain in second position, and Richard Slocock of Great Britain in third.
For the men’s B1 complete results click here.
For the men’s B3 complete results click here.
Current world champion Lucie Jarrige of France picked up where she left off at the end of last season, when she won gold at the two Paraclimbing World Cups she competed in, in Innsbruck, Austria, and Villars, Switzerland. Jarrige dominated the women’s AL2 final, finishing ahead of silver medal winner Sarah Larcombe of Australia, and bronze medal winner Mary Tankersley of the USA.
For the women’s AL2 complete results click here.
The Brazilian and Norwegian anthems also resounded loud at The Front Climbing Club, thanks to the winning performances of Marina Dias and Dina Eivik in the women’s RP3 and RP2 Lead finals.
Dias, supported by a large group of teammates, prevailed with a slight margin over Natalie Vorel of the USA, who won silver. Bronze medal went to Natalie Schaupert of Austria, who also placed very close to her opponents.
Eivik took gold in a low-scoring women’s RP2 final, finishing first ahead of silver medallist Emily Seelenfreund of the USA, and bronze medallist Miranda Scott of Canada. Eivik closed with 18+, Seelenfreund scored 15+, Scott with 14+.
For the women’s RP3 complete results click here.
For the women’s RP2 complete results click here.
The second gold medal for Team USA was taken by Brian Zarzuela, who topped the route of the men’s RP2 final and won one of the loudest applauses from the crowd that filled every available space in the venue. Iván Muñoz Escolar of Spain concluded in second place, taking silver, while Philipp Hrozek of Germany placed third and won bronze.
For the men’s RP2 complete results click here.
After placing second in the women’s AU2 qualification round, France’s Solenne Piret was able to upset the odds and take the sixth World Cup gold of her fantastic career, besting US experienced climber Maureen Back, who was first at the end of qualification, and ended up winning silver. Beck’s teammate Isabel Benvenuti – another first-time World Cup participant – completed the podium in third place.
For the women’s AU2 complete results click here.
Nine of the 18 competing nations ended up with at least one gold medal in their showcase – in the case of Belgium, it was thanks to Frederik Leys victorious performance in the men’s AL2 Lead event, where he was able to pocket the second World Cup gold of his career, after the one he took at Los Angeles 2021. Leys bested Ethan Zilz of the USA and David Kammerer of Italy, who respectively placed second and third.
For the men’s AL2 complete results click here.
The third and fourth golds of the day for Team USA was signed by Melissa Ruiz and Elliott Nguyen in the women’s and men’s RP1 events. For both, it is the first World Cup win of their career.
The women’s RP1 podium also featured Jasmin Plank of Austria in second place, and Marta Peche Salinero of Spain in third. The men’s RP1 podium was completed by silver medal winner Gian Matteo Ramini of Italy, and bronze medal winner Okada Takuya of Japan.
For the women’s RP1 complete results click here.
For the men’s RP1 complete results click here.
After placing third and second at last year’s World Cups in Innsbruck and Villars, Israel’s Mor Michael Sapir jumped back on the highest step of the podium, taking gold in the men’s RP3 event. Italy’s Pietro Azzolini won silver, and Ignacio Martinez of Chile took bronze.
For the men’s RP3 complete results click here.
The opening Paraclimbing World Cup of the 2023 season concluded in great fashion, with Austrian teammates Angelino Zeller and Markus Pösendorfer battling for the top of the podium in the men’s AL1 Lead event. Eventually, it was Zeller who prevailed, falling only a couple of moves away from the top. Pösendorfer secured silver, and Tanner Cislaw of the USA followed in third place, taking bronze.
For the men’s AL1 complete results click here.
Team USA finished at the top of the medal table with four golds, five silvers, and three bronzes; followed by France with two golds; Austria with one gold and two silvers; and Romania with one gold and two bronzes.
The Paraclimbing World Cup Series 2023 will continue next month in Innsbruck, where the second World Cup event of the season is scheduled to take place on 12 and 13 June.
News and updates about the event will be available on the IFSC website and on the Federation’s digital channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and exclusively for the Chinese audience, Weibo and Douyin.
Brian Zarzuela of the USA competes at the IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup Salt Lake City 2023
Photo: Slobodan Miskovic/IFSC
