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Cup Also this year
the end of the World Cup takes place in Slovenia, on the overhanging
artificial wall in the Sport Palace of Kranj, 30 Km from Lubjana. After a
few days of armed fight, the new born republic of Slovenia split from the
Yugoslavian federation, and from the beginning they paid attention to the
sport image of the new nation in the international landscape. Particularly
they tried to enhance best the value of the sports that are part of the
local tradition, and consequently, tied to the mountain. Great attention
therefore to the ski, but also to mountaineering and climbing. Creator and
soul of the movement bound to climbing, the world's most famous Slovenian
alpinist, Tomo Cesen. Tomo is doubtless an influential and charismatic
personality in Slovenia. Sensible and proud, Tomo was disappointed by the
events around him about the controversy over the truth of some of his
performances. Disappointed to the point that he abandoned completely the
mountaineering world, to find refuge in another one, that gave him other 
satisfactions. Very soon he recognizes the social potentiality of sport
climbing and becomes the leading soul of the emerging movement. Today the
obtained results are clear to everybody. In ten years in Slovenia an
important sport phenomenon has begun, based on the sport promotion and the
youth. Today are always more numerous the young Slovenians who get to know
climbing among the sport activities at school. The Slovenian Youth
Climbing teams are at the top of the European ranking and the 25-year-old
Martina Cufar has been among the best five of the world for the past five
years. And then there is the motivation to work, reliability and
enthusiasm. It is because of all these reasons that the event in Kranj is
very appreciated, both by the athletes, and by the experts. It is a good
story, the one of a population which wants to affirm its dignity also
through the sport results, that witnesses the will to change with respect
to the past. Today Slovenia is a modern country, in tuning with the times
and always farther from the memories. The event is liked because it is
almost symbolic, a kind of showroom for a country that was able to let
climbing grow and that is proud of it. So here we are, at the beginning of
the competition. 21 countries, 115 athletes, 70 men and 45 women. And of
course open games for the general ranking of the World Cup. On Friday
afternoon the men begin, with the quarterfinals. Big surprise for the
exclusion of François Legrand, this year definitely out of shape,
particularly mentally. A sad final, the one of the French, who must fight
to the pain also only to pass a qualification, and isn't able any more to
recover the level that allowed him to become the world's most titled
athlete. A pity, because the repeated disillusions take away appeal from
the show, that loses, with the motivational crisis of Legrand, a great
protagonist. But if on one side we see the crisis of an old champion, on
the other side we admire the reconfirmation of another "seasoned"
champion, the only one remained with Legrand on the competition fields
since the beginning in the late eighties: Yuji Hirayama. The roads of the
rival-friends have been parallel for several years. They left the
respective families to follow an alternative life style filled by
climbing; their roads crossed under the first artificial competition walls.
Then they met shortly later to share the expenses of an apartment in Aix
en Provence, the operational basis, the factory of young champions who
want to conquer the vertical world. The early times smile more to Legrand.
The French for a long period becomes the indisputable number one. He
practically wins everything for five-six years. But Yuji is always there,
just in the next positions, but he doesn't manage to make the quality leap.
The years pass, and Legrand begins to suffer the rivals. He wins always
less and the competition becomes always harder. Lombard, the Petit
brothers, many new names appear. His performance level is still high, but
not enough to win any more. Now also other physical characteristics are
necessary: explosive power, raw power and specific resistance at high
level. The competition routes change, the route setters change, who create
different and always harder routes. The old champion becomes progressively
one of the several, one of the good ones. Legrand, in short, isn't
"the big" anymore.  Contemporaneously with the progressive
performance fall of the French we see the maturity of Yuji who, in the
mean time, has analyzed carefully himself and has worked on his physical
characteristics, the ones capable of being improved. First of all, he
diversifies his objectives, dedicating himself, for example not only to
the competitions but also to the extreme free climbing on the big walls,
like to try to free the Nose, in Yosemite, on sight. He stops to live like
a nomad all year long; he marries and makes two children. Of course he
continues to travel a lot, but he makes it to finalize some objectives. He
returns back to the competitions to win. Three years ago he barely touches
the victory of the World Cup, he wins it last year and he leads the
provisional ranking this year. In the crags he collects an incredible
series of on sight and worked performances. In a few words, he becomes the
most successful climber of the moment. A story of highs and lows, of black
and white, of seasons that change, that close and open again. Legrand and
Hirayama take a symbolic role in modern climbing; they become the living
icon of the harmony of the seasons that pass and modify. It's up to us to
move correctly inside them, without exertions, and above all, to look for
a positive aim. Without doubt Hirayama has understood it since long and
today he enjoys the results. And the Italian team? There is doubtlessly
great expectation for the development in "Italy house".
Paradoxically, despite of the serious crisis that rages in the federation
and that limits a lot from the logistical point of view, optimum results
and encouraging signals of the health condition of the athletes continue
to come. Reigning world champions, with the "magic" Dino Lagni,
running for a step of the final podium of the World Cup; accompanied by
the never missing Brenna. To notice also the encouraging women's growth,
thanks to the performances of the sixteen-year-old Jenny Lavarda, who this
year has definitely become after the Iovane the witness of Italian colors
in women climbing. The competition starts on Friday afternoon. Men's
quarterfinals and twelve chains. Only surprise as already told the
negative performance of Legrand. Of our team, excluded straight away
Scarian, Giupponi, Zavagnin and Lella. The next day is the time of the
women's category, with 14 chains, among them also the one of our Jenny
Lavarda. A few hours later the men's semifinal, the 26 surviving athletes
compete to reach the eight men final. The men semifinal is always a very
interesting competition part, may be the most interesting. The same level
of the competitors is always higher, and therefore some "excellent"
exclusions are not to avoid, as if it were a competition inside the
competition. This time, unfortunately for us, the misfortune hits Dino
Lagni, giving him the most useless position of the world, the ninth
position, that means particularly "first excluded" from the
final. For the record, we remind that exactly in the semifinal of
Birmingham (World Championship), he ranked eight in the semifinal, with
the consequences that everybody knows and that gave him the planet title.
Farewell glory dreams, therefore. Of the strong ones, also Ovtchinnikov
remains excluded, several times winner this year and also the French Caude.
Qualified instead Brenna and all the others. Best performance in semifinal
of course for Hirayama, while his rival in the fight for the top, the
French Chabot, barely qualifies. Of our team also Gnerro and Brenna
qualify. Out instead Zardini.  Not missing the surprises also in the
women's category. If on one side Sansoz seams more solid than usual, this
time Sarkany seams to show some difficulty in the progression. Near the
two the local hero Martina Cufar, to all appearance in great shape. All
the other behind. Definitely an unlucky competition, this one for the
athletes of the Maneton, the Schio climbing club. Ninth position and first
excluded from the final, exactly like Lagni, also the young Italian
promise Lavarda. A real pity, but anyway the more than dignified
conclusion of a season that consolidates the climber from Vicenza firmly
among the first ten of the world. And this is not bad, for a girl at the
start in the category. Long interruption, until Sunday afternoon, when at
6.00 PM the games are finished. The girls begin. Another chain for Liv
Sansoz, followed, this time, by local Martina Cufar, among the general
excitement. Almost the same for the beautiful Swiss Tina Schultz, who
dynos to the last hold, hold touched also by the other French Stephanie
Bodet. Only fifth a disappointed Sarkany, who this year has seen all the
important goals vanish by a narrow shave: World, European Championship,
World Cup. Another superfinal for the victory in this event, while the
World Cup is firmly back in the hands of the French. At the end the moment
of the men's final arrives. Brenna shows a masterpiece with a strong and
effective performance, climbing higher, position after position, in the
general ranking. At the end only the super Hirayama manages to make better,
ending in the best possible way, the final conquest of the World Cup. The
rival of Hirayama, the twenty-year-old Chabot pays for the pressure of a
season that, in any case, has seen him protagonist until the end, and that
propose him as sure protagonist in the next years. Simply great the
performance of Brenna, with this fantastic climbing in extremis he has
recovered precious positions in the general World Cup ranking, improving
from the sixth place that he had after Nantes to the third one, and that
gives him therefore also the bronze medal of the international trophy. The
points conquered in Kranj, as a matter of fact, allowed him to pass on the
finishing line, like for a final with photofinisher, the French Dewilde,
the Ukraine Petrenko and Dino Lagni, who anyway takes home a more the
dignified fourth final position. End therefore of the first season of the
new millennium, characterized by a multiethnic and cosmopolitan vision. On
one side the confirmation of the French school, with the confirmation of
the planet's strongest climber Liv Sansoz, this year also winner of the
World Championship and who succeeded in climbing an 8c/8c+ in the USA. On
the other side a World Cup winner from Japan, who climbs extreme routes
everywhere and in record times, and is also World Vice-Champion, behind
our Lagni. What next year is going to bring us, is all to discover. For
the moment we look forward, in the national field, to the coming Italian
Championship, Bouldering, Difficulty and Speed, this weekend in Turin. In
international field instead we have to wait another month for the start of
the second Ice World Cup, in Chamonix on December 28th.
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