Sport Climbing World Cup 2023 Briançon: Vita Lukan and Anraku Sorato clinch first lead World Cup wins
Slovenian Lukan won in the French Alps with the 16-year-old Japanese adding to his boulder win last month in the last IFSC World Cup event before the Bern World Championships.
Sport Climbing
Slovenia's Vita Lukan made the most of the absence of countrywoman Janja Garnbret by winning the lead event at the IFSC Sport Climbing World Cup stop in Briançon, France on Saturday (15 July).
With top climbers including in-form Olympic champion Garnbret electing to skip the last IFSC World Cup round before next month's World Championships, Lukan - who suffered a succession of knee injuries earlier this year - claimed her first World Cup win ahead of Czechia's Eliska Adamovska and home climber Manon Hily.
Martina Demmel was first to go in her first final, and negotiated the foot-first section just after midway before coming off at 34+.
As Camille Pouget approached the same spot as Demmel, she started to grimace with what looked like cramp, but managed to match the German's 34+ and move into the lead thanks to her better semi-final showing.
Then came Lukan who went higher than her two rivals, fighting her way up to move 46 before coming off the wall.
France's Manon Hily looked the most comfortable on the way up with Lukan's mark in her sights, but she came off at 44.
Molly Thompson-Smith was left wondering what might have been in her first final for four years, as the Briton pulled off a strong move before slipping off at 35 when she had more to give, and then Tanii Natsuki came down head-in-hands after hesitating and missing an early jump.
Her teammate Kume Nonoha paid the price for a somewhat slow ascent and had to rush as she approached the moves which would land her on the podium. And she came off at 43 to go into third place with just Eliska Adamovska to go with the home crowd celebrating as Hily was guaranteed a medal.
The Czech made good progress but could not pass Lukan's mark although her 44+ saw her move head of Hily thanks to her semi-final performance.
Afterwards, Lukan told IFSC, "I'm speechless. I did not expect it. I don't know what happened. I just climbed and enjoyed the route. I gave it all, I fought hard and I'm really surprised, I'm just happy.
"It's been a really tough season. I injured my knee in January and then again in February. I didn't climb until the middle of April. I suffered an ACL tear and a meniscus tear and I went through surgery. They removed half of the meniscus so, yeah, it was a really tough season so this means a lot to me. It's just amazing."
Anraku triumphs in men's lead final
Anraku Sorato continued to cement reputation as one of the world's best young climbers as the 16-year-old secured his first lead World Cup victory and his second World Cup win in a space of a month.
There were no fewer than seven Japanese climbers in the men's final - a World Cup record - and the course setters could feel satisfied with a route which appeared reasonably straightforward until a complex sloper section after move 35 where fatigue soon set in.
Ogata Yoshiyuki was the first to go and made almost serene progress until coming off at move 49.
Next up was Omata Shion who was not quite as quick as his countryman, and had to settle for 44+.
Yoshida Satone, appearing in his first World Cup final, also made his way quickly up to the pressure point, and was awarded a 49+ after coming close to clipping on with his rope.
And after Uemura Haruki could only reach 37, Homma Taisei reached the same point as Yoshida with his superior semi-final score securing him the lead.
Sweden's Hannes Puman had to use more energy than his rivals on his ascent and fought hard, but 39 was not enough to prevent a Japanese podium sweep.
Higuchi Masahiro was another who struggled early on but fought through it before posting 40 leaving him outside the medals.
But then came youngster Anraku who, after showing brief signs of fatigue, managed to clip on and then become the only man to top the route for his second World Cup victory having won the last month's boulder event at Innsbruck.
Next up for Anraku and co are the World Championships in the Swiss capital Bern where the first athletes in the Olympic competition at Paris 2024 will be decided.
Sport Climbing World Cup 2023 Briançon – Women's Lead Final results
- Vita Lukan (SLO) 46
- Eliska Adamovska (CZE) 44+
- Manon Hily (FRA) 44+
- Kume Nonoha (JPN) 43+
- Molly Thompson-Smith (GBR) 35
- Camille Pouget (FRA) 34+
- Martina Demmel (GER) 34+
- Tanii Natsuki (JPN) 12+
Sport Climbing World Cup 2023 Briançon – Men's Lead Final results
- Anraku Sorato (JPN) TOP
- Homma Taisei (JPN) 49+
- Yoshida Satone (JPN) 49+
- Ogata Yoshiyuki (JPN) 49
- Omata Shion (JPN) 44+
- Higuchi Masahiro (JPN) 40+
- Hannes Puman (SWE) 39
- Uemura Haruki (JPN) 37+