Sport Climbing World Cup 2023 Villars: Olympic champ Janja Garnbret scores 40th World Cup win with lead triumph
Slovenia's climbing hero reached another milestone in her career while Austrian veteran Jakob Schubert claimed a win in the men's event.
Sport Climbing
Janja Garnbret made more history at the IFSC Sport Climbing World Cup stop in Villars, Switzerland on Saturday (1 July).
After her double triumph in Innsbruck two weeks ago, the sport's first Olympic champion at Tokyo 2020 showed that she is once again the woman to beat having missed the first half of the season with a toe injury.
The 24-year-old Slovenian was the only athlete on the night to top a gruelling test, as she claimed her 25th lead World Cup triumph and her 40th in total.
Jessica Pilz of Austria was second with USA's Brooke Raboutou in third place.
Speaking to IFSC afterwards, Garnbret said, "It feels incredible. I always love coming here. I feel like I'm at home here. After Innsbruck, I felt confident. I saw that my lead shape is there so I went to compete in Villars with full confidence. I just enjoyed so much the crowd even though it's raining."
On her spin move before the top section which left her facing the crowd, she explained, "I had two options. Plan A was not to turn but then when I was there, I said, 'Why not try?'
"It was amazing, an incredible feeling although I was super-stretched and it felt a little bit weird but looking down at the crowd and all cheering... it was amazing."
Garnbret victorious yet again
Pilz was first to go and struggled against the clock which meant she had no time to shake out her limbs and tackle the tough top section.
She did reach 43+ to set the standard with Korean star Kim Jain unable to get close to that mark.
Mia Krampl made quicker progress than Pilz and looked comfortable as she clipped on to move past 30. Then came some hesitation before the young Slovenian spun to face the crowd before she came off the wall at 40+.
Pilz's compatriot Mattea Pötzi showed some early nerves in her first World Cup final, and the 22-year-old failed to complete the run-and-jump move before halfway which left her in last place.
Tanii Natsuki just about succeeded where Pötzi fell, but the 19-year-old Japanese also fell behind the clock approaching the top section and slipped off at move 36.
As darkness descended and the rain began to fall, Republic of Korea's Seo Chae-hyun made it to the tricky top sequence in good time but then could not move her left leg up to get vertical and fell off at 43, just behind Pilz.
American Brooke Raboutou was another one was left puzzled by the start of the tricky top section and, by the time she had worked it out, time was almost up. She scrambled up to 43 when time expired before going higher.
But she took second place ahead of Seo by virtue of a higher semi-final score.
That left just Garnbret to go and, as she has done so many times before, the Slovenian climber found a way to the top where no one else had.
She spun like teammate Kampl at the start of the top section and then swung around to the top to score yet another victory.
Jakob Schubert on top as experience trumps youth in men's lead final
Austrian veteran Jakob Schubert claimed his first victory of the season as the "old guys" swept the podium.
Pan Yufei of the People's Republic of China set the early target with 34 moves, but German Olympian Alex Megos overtook him by reaching 40.
Britain's Toby Roberts came desperately close as he was awarded 39+, but then Olympic bronze medallist Schubert went into the lead although his big manoeuvre to try and reach the top just failed as he tallied 43.
Adam Ondra had looked smooth on his ascent, but the Czech hero fell at 41+ to go into second place with two men to go.
American teenager Colin Duffy came to grief at 37, and then 16-year-old Anraku Sorato - who won the boulder event at Innsbruck a fortnight ago - fell just before then at the start of the closing tricky section.
That handed Schubert - twice the age of the young Japanese - his 23rd World Cup victory.
He told IFSC afterwards, "It feels so amazing. It's been a while, especially in the World Cup. Talking to Adam and Alex, already in Innsbruck I felt like the field in lead is stronger than ever. Making finals is already a crazy achievement. Going up against the youngsters but also the old guys, it was just amazing to come out on top today.
"It feels also great to be on the podium together with two great friends, Alex and Adam. We were just discussing, 'Was it one of the oldest podiums ever?' because Alex is turning 30 this year, I'm 32, Adam is 30. The old guys dominated today."
Sport Climbing World Cup 2023 Villars – Women's Lead Final results
- Janja Garnbret (SLO) TOP
- Jessica Pilz (AUT) 43+
- Brooke Raboutou (USA) 43
- Seo Chae-hyun (KOR) 43
- Mia Krampl (SLO) 40+
- Tanii Natsuki (JPN) 36
- Kim Jain (KOR) 22+
- Mattea Pötzi (AUT) 17+
Sport Climbing World Cup 2023 Villars – Men's Lead Final results
- Jakob Schubert (AUT) 42+
- Adam Ondra (CZE) 41+
- Alexander Megos (GER) 40
- Toby Roberts (GBR) 39+
- Colin Duffy (USA) 37+
- Anraku Sorato (JPN) 36+
- Pan Yufei (CHN) 34
- Omata Shion (JPN) 24+