Classy climbers Janja Garnbret and Colin Duffy win lead titles at IFSC World Cup 2022 in Innsbruck
Slovenian Olympic champion Garnbret dominated a stacked field on a tricky route to come out on top in Austria on Sunday (26 June 2022). U.S. star Colin Duffy won the men's competition adding to his title in the boulder competition.
Sport Climbing
Slovenian sport climbing sensation Janja Garnbret was in class of her own to win the women's title on the first leg of the IFSC Lead World Cup Series 2022 in Innsbruck, Austria on Sunday (26 June).
Garnbret made a stunning return to the wall after a brief hiatus from the World Cup circuit to prepare for the start of the lead season.
She best navigated the challenging route where none of the women made it to the top, with Garnbret winning with a score of 39+. Korean climber Seo Chaehyun finished in second place, scoring 27+ (2:41), with U.S. athlete Brooke Raboutou (USA) finishing third with 27+ (2:52).
“I love hard routes, especially after semis as it was too easy, so we got something completely opposite, probably the hardest route I’ve ever climbed on the World Cup circuit,” Garnbret told the IFSC. “It was amazing, and I hope this continues this season."
The women’s final boasted a stacked field with five Olympians among the eight climbers vying for the lead title in Austria.
The night before, all five Olympians – Raboutou, Garnbret, Jessica Pilz (Austria), Laura Rogora (Italy), and Seo – topped the route in the semi-finals.
The final dished up some early drama with the first four women – including local hero Pilz, one of the favourites – falling relatively low down the route.
Double delight for Duffy
The men’s final was a tighter affair, with U.S. star climber Colin Duffy adding the lead title to his victory in the boulder competition on Thursday.
The 18-year-old Duffy claimed only his second World Cup victory with a score of 38+, sharing the podium with compatriot Jesse Grupper finishing third with 37+ (4:28). Japan’s Ao Yurikusa pipped Grupper on time with a 37+ (3:14) score to win the silver medal.
“Coming into this competition, I was pretty unsure how bouldering would go, and with the start of the lead season, you don’t know how fit everyone else is,” Duffy told the IFSC. “But I was excited to compete here in Innsbruck, and things have just gone magically for me.”
The nine-man final included Olympians Duffy, Alexander Megos (Germany) and local Olympic bronze medallist Jakob Schubert, who had to settle for fifth place with 36+.