Valence (Fra), 31 October –1 November
Seventh Difficulty World Cup 2003
French leg of the Difficulty World Cup series, seventh appointment
of a demanding season, consisting of 10 scheduled competitions.
The French event is always a moment of big importance in the international
landscape, because it represents the show window of the reference
country in the sport-climbing world. France, not only country of
champions and popular passion, but also example of engagement and
organization finalized to the competitions.
The Competition
Usual tension, also if slightly lessened by the actual situation,
with the consolidation of Belgian Muriel Sarkany and Alexandre
Chabot at the top of the ranking, although the games aren’t
yet done for the others. There are new athletes appearing on the
stage, others disappearing. There is a lot of fight to emerge,
in short, and this is good for the show. Among the girls we have
the confirmation of Angela Eiter, dropped on the competition world
like a meteorite during the Rock Master at the end of September
and since then undisputed ruler of her category. In the men’s
field the competitors of Chabot are always more aggressive, their
names are Thomas Mrazek, reigning World Champion, Spaniard Ramon
Julian Puigblanque, winner of the last two World Cups and the
other Spaniard Patxi Usobiaga.
On Friday the half finals start. Four tops on the men’s
route: Chabot, Ovtchinnikov, Puigblanque and Lachat. Six on the
women’s route: Eiter, Sarkany, Levet, Ciavaldini, Bacher
and Minoret. The men’s situation is clearer after the half
final on Saturday, where only Chabot and Puigblanque continue
to maintain the winning pace. All the others stay behind them.
Too easy, instead, the women’s route. Seven tops and still
no indications about the final. Good performance of Jenny Lavarda,
who reaches a well deserved last round.
Really big show on Saturday evening. Television, media and about
three thousand spectators to celebrate the climbing festival in
the Parc des Exposition of Valence. The girls start, on a long
traversing route, very technical and rich with motoric solutions.
They all climb very high, practically confirming the afternoon
results. The very young Caroline Ciavaldini almost tops out, and
places fourth in the general ranking, she is still another product
of the French Youth Team. Sandrine Levet barely misses the final
hold, while the alien Angela Eiter and Muriel Sarkany are able
to stick it. Their two tops mean super final, which will take
place just after the men’s final. Here we can admire another
exploit of Chabot, who completes on sight the competition route.
The achievement gives him the victory of this leg and also a serious
mortgage on his third Difficulty World Cup Series.
Outstanding performance also of Russian Evgueny Ovtchinnikov,
who falls at the last hold, while little “Ramonet”
Puigblanque doesn’t manage to read the last movement in
the right way.
The competition ends with the women’s super final. Still
another top for Angela Eiter, while Sarkany is stopped by the
last movement, and places second.
The background
Fun, competent and heterogeneous spectators, a lot of passionate
young people. A nice festival, in short, but different from other
realities, because the French environment is a world of its own,
where sport climbing is the second sport practiced by school children!
Majestic the multi-purpose sport palace, and with an impressive
fixed artificial wall of Entreprise. But this isn’t all.
Big exhibition spaces for a dozen booths of specialized companies.
Lot of attention given to logistics, where everything is planned
to the smallest details, to avoid surprises. Remarkable effort
in the video sector, with a dozen cameras filming the event from
every perspective, to broadcast it on the huge maxi-screens in
the hall and on the connected television channels. Cheering like
in a stadium, a lot of sportsmanship and a very exciting speaker,
able to maintain always lively the attention of the spectators.
Conclusions
Sport climbing in the third millennium runs with two speeds. The
generational exchange is completed by now, further, even the very
numerous participants of the young generations are fighting hard
to surpass each other. Austrian Angela Eiter is the emblem of
this transformation, because in two months she has conquered the
international stage, and this says a lot about how far we still
are from the physiological limits of the sport we love. Also in
the men’s field the evolution continues. Chabot, who seemed
an alien until yesterday, today has reduced to his true proportions,
thanks to the aggressiveness of his new rivals. In the men’s
field, like for the women, the cards have been mixed and everything
has become more uncertain and more appealing than before. There
is still space for some dreadful old men, like stainless Ovtchinnikov,
who came back to the top after a low level period.
The World Cup Series moves now to Slowenia, in Kranj, from the
14th to the 16th November. Five days later it’s time for
the Chinese leg, in Shenzen, from the 21st to the 23rd November.
Conclusion in the United Kingdom, in Edimbourgh, from the 4th
to the 7th December.
Oscar Durbiano
Women’s results
1° Angela Eiter (Aut)
2° Muriel Sarkany (Bel)
3° Sandrine Levet (Fra)
4° Caroline Ciavaldini (Fra)
5° Barbara Bacher (Aut)
6° Chloè Minoret (Fra)
7° Jenny Lavarda (Ita)
8° Alizee Dufraisse (Fra)
Men’s results
1° Alexandre Chabot (Fra)
2° Evgueni Ovtchinnikov (Rus)
3° Ramon Julian Puigblanque (Esp)
4° Cédric Lachat (Sui)
5° Fabien Dugit (Fra)
6° Andreas Bindhammer (Ger)
7° Romain Pagnoux (Fra)
8° Christian Bindhammer (Ger)
