Qixin Zhong of China captured the men’s title and Iuliia Kaplina of Russia the women’s at the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Speed World Cup held over the weekend at Boulders Climbing Gym in Central Saanich.
It was the first Speed World Cup held outside Europe or Asia and highlighted a spectacular weekend of climbing at the Boulders facility. In the speed discipline, climbers ascend a 15-metre near-vertical wall, navigating a series of hand and footholds in the fastest time they can.
Libor Hroza of the Czech Republic, who trains at Boulders, went into the World Cup as the favourite after bettering the world speed record time of 5.60 seconds in April by posting a clocking of 5.578 seconds at the B.C. championships. But it was not recognized as official because it was not a sanctioned IFSC event.
Hroza posted the best qualifying time over the weekend of 5.83 seconds, but the favourite slipped and lost his quarter-final elimination run against Sean McColl of North Vancouver.
That opened the door for champion Zhong, silver-medallist Marcin Dzienski of Poland and bronze-medallist Bassa Mawem of France. Zhong’s winning time was 6.26 seconds. McColl was top Canadian in seventh place with a personal best time of 8.11.
Meanwhile, Kaplina broke her own world record by racing up in 7.74 seconds in the semifinals en route to the women’s title. It was a Russian sweep of the podium with Mariia Krasavina second and Anna Tsyganova third.
Alison Stewart-Patterson of Victoria, in her World Cup debut, was top Canadian in 13th place, with a national record climb of 10.83 second to break her previous record of 11.54 seconds.
The Canadian Open championships also took place at Boulders Gym, with Hroza topping the speed-climbing list for the men’s crown, with Max Hammer of the U.S. second. The national title went to third overall Tristen Gosselin of Victoria, who was top Canadian.
Farnaz Esmaeilzadeh of Iran won the women’s open-division speed championship. Stewart-Patterson was second and national champion as top Canadian.
In the open men’s division of the lead climbing national championships, three-time world champion McColl edged Élan Jonas-McRae of the host Boulders club for the title.
Delaney Miller of the U.S. won the women’s open lead climbing championship, with fellow American Melina Constanza second. Becca Frangos of Alberta was third overall and national champion as top Canadian.
