2023 IFSC Sport Climbing World Championships: Mawem clinches first world title after 10-year wait
Two French sports climbers, Mickael Mawem and Mejdi Schalck, made it onto the podium as the first medals were awarded in Bern, while defending champion Fujii faltered on the final boulders.
Sport Climbing
A decade-long wait is over for French sports climber Mickael Mawem who claimed his career’s first world title on Friday (4 August).
At 33 years old, Mawem was the oldest climber in the men's boulder final at the 2023 IFSC Sport Climbing World Championships in Bern. The Tokyo 2020 Olympian barely scraped into the Top 10 at the recent boulder World Cups and was an underdog coming into the final that also featured defending world champion Fujii Kokoro of Japan.
However, from his first boulder, Mawem showed that he should not be dismissed so easily.
The French climbing veteran was the only athlete who reached three tops after three rounds, and it was only the final boulder that broke his perfect streak.
Needing only to zone to take gold, Mawem made several failed attempts before pausing to rest and refocus. Standing next to the wall, he could be seen nodding his head before making the next attempt, which saw him reach the zone marker and become world champion.
“It’s a dream, a dream come true," Mawem told Olympics.com after winning gold. "I worked a lot, a lot, a lot for that. I trained for 20 years. I competed in that event for 10 years. When I was 15 years old, I said, ‘OK, I want to be the best climber in the world one time in my life'. Every year I'm here and today I am (the champion) and that's crazy.
“My best day in sport is today. In the end of this climbing, after the four boulders, I have the zone. It's my best moment. I just realised that now I'm the best, and that's crazy.”
Fellow French athlete, 19-year-old Mejdi Schalck, also struggled on the final boulder and ultimately took silver with two tops and four zones.
“Just amazing," Schalck told Olympics.com of sharing his first world championships podium with Mawem who he identifies as his sports hero. "During all the final runs when we came back from the boulder, we are pushing each together, giving good energy, and it’s so great."
Republic of Korea’s Lee Dohyun made a solid start in the final, reaching two tops with seeming ease, but struggled to figure out a path in the later walls with all his attempts on the final boulder failing.
it was an even tougher night for defending champion Fujii who only managed to reach two zones at the start of the competition and finished last in the final.
His teammate and the star of the semi-final, 16-year-old Anraku Sorato, showed great skill on the first two boulders, but also faultered towards the end, finishing just off the podium.
Next target: Olympic quota spots
Many of the finalists from the boulder event will next try to advance to the final of the men's boulder and lead combined. The top three athletes in the combined event will secure quotas for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
A boulder specialist, Mawem is hoping his result in lead is strong enough to secure a ticket to his second Olympic Games where he would compete in front of family and friends.
“I need to work on lead climbing. I'm not strong in lead climbing and I need to work every time on that," Mawem said. "Now all is possible. I go with my all and I try to give my best and we will see. Just now I'm the best in the world. I have the title and I can stop climbing now. (But) I don't stop just now.”
Results – 2023 IFSC Sport Climbing World Championships in Bern – Men's Boulder Final
1. GOLD - Mickael Mawem (FRA) - Top: 3, Zone: 4, Top attempts: 8
2. SILVER - Mejdi Schalck (FRA) - Top: 2, Zone: 4, Top attempts: 5
3. BRONZE - Lee Dohyun (KOR) - Top: 2, Zone: 3, Top attempts: 5
4. Anraku Sorato (JPN) - Top: 2, Zone: 2, Top attempts: 3
5. Nicolai Uznik (AUT) - Top: 1, Zone: 3, Top attempts: 2
6. Fujii Kokoro (JPN) - Top: 0, Zone: 2, Top attempts: 0