GROSSMAN, RAKOVEC, AND YOSHIDA LEAD THE WAY INTO CHAMONIX SEMI-FINALS

The IFSC Lead World Cup in Chamonix commenced this morning with men’s and women’s qualifications, where Japan, Slovenia, and the USA climbed their way into first position heading into semi-finals.

As the only athlete to achieve two tops, 17-year-old Satone Yoshida of Japan will progress into the men’s semi-final this evening in first place. With a top of qualification route two, Olympian Alberto Ginés López, of Spain, and Domen Skofic, of Slovenia, will follow Yoshida into the next round, in second and third place respectively. Canada’s Victor Baudrand was the only athlete aside from Yoshida to secure a top of route one, also bagging himself a semi-final spot in fourth position, alongside his younger brother Oscar Baudrand who qualified in 18^th.

In the women’s event, Slovenia’s Lucka Rakovec and Natalia Grossman of the USA achieved a joint first position heading into the semi-final, reaching 50 on route one and obtaining a top of route two. Grossman accomplished a podium position at this year’s Lead World Cup in Villars, whereas Rakovec reached the Lead final in both Villars and Innsbruck. Following into the semi-final in a solid third place, is 16-year-old Aleksandra Totkova of Bulgaria. Olympians Julia Chanourdie, of France, and Laura Rogora, of Italy, proceed to the next round in fifth place and 11^th place, respectively.

Although the alpine sun shone down over the qualification round, poor weather conditions forecast for tomorrow morning means that both the men’s and women’s semi-finals will now take place this evening from 7:30 PM (UTC+2).

Full results of the women’s event can be found here, and men’s results are here.

Slovenia's Lucka Rakovec climbs her way into semi-finals in Chamonix
Photo: Daniel Gajda/IFSC

The full list of athletes through to the men’s semi-final is as follows:

• Satone Yoshida (JPN)
• Alberto Ginés López (ESP)
• Domen Skofic (SLO)
• Victor Baudrand (CAN)
• Sascha Lehmann (SUI)
• Sean Bailey (USA)
• Sohta Amagasa (JPN)
• Yannick Flohé (GER)
• Marcello Bombardi (ITA)
• Martin Bergant (SLO)
• Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA)
• Paul Jenft (FRA)
• Masahiro Higuchi (JPN)
• Stefan Scherz (AUT)
• Martin Stranik (CZE)
• Luka Potocar (SLO)
• Mikel Asier Linacisoro Molina (ESP)
• Oscar Baudrand (CAN)
• Mejdi Schalck (FRA)
• Diego Fourbet (FRA)
• Sebastian Halenke (GER)
• Ross Fulkerson (USA)
• Nino Grünenfelder (SUI)
• Milan Preskar (SLO)
• Christoph Hanke (GER)
• Ellis Ernsberger (USA)
• Nao Monchois (FRA)
• Hannes Puman (SWE)

Competing in the women’s semi-final this evening, are:

• Lucka Rakovec (SLO)
• Natalia Grossman (USA)
• Aleksandra Totkova (BUL)
• Eva Maria Hammelmüller (AUT)
• Julia Chanourdie (FRA)
• Dinara Fakhritdinova (RUS)
• Vita Lukan (SLO)
• Ryu Nakagawa (JPN)
• Nina Arthaud (FRA)
• Momoko Abe (JPN)
• Salomé Romain (FRA)
• Laura Rogora (ITA)
• Molly Thompson-Smith (GBR)
• Camille Pouget (FRA)
• Natsuki Tanii (JPN)
• Ashima Shiraishi (USA)
• Eliska Adamovska (CZE)
• Anne-Sophie Koller (SUI)
• Lynn van der Meer (NED)
• Nolwenn Arc (FRA)
• Julia Fiser (AUT)
• Martina Demmel (GER)
• Manon Hily (FRA)
• Sabina van Essen (NED)
• Giorgia Tesio (ITA)
• Michelle Hulliger (SUI)