The second stop of the 2024 IFSC Para Climbing World Cup series came to a close at the Kletterzentrum Innsbruck, Austria as the medals were decided on a full night of Lead climbing.

Nineteen sport classes were in action with gold on offer in every one. There were some home nation wins, some serial gold medallists and some new names on the Para Climbing World Cup podiums.

Men’s AU2

Kevin Bartke produced a marvelous climb to top the men’s AU2 final route, and with it securing the German climber a gold medal. USA’s Brian Zarzuela was next best with hold 43 giving him a silver medal ahead of Norway’s Isak Ripmanon hold 42+ for bronze. Great Britain’s Sebastian Musson was just off the podium in fourth.

Women’s AU2

France’s Solenne Piret once again produced a gold medal winning climb in the women’s AU2 ahead of silver medallist Lucia Capovilla of Italy. USA’s Eleanor Rubin completed the podium with Germany’s Carolin Heberle missing out.

Men’s AU3

There were two tops in the men’s AU3 final with Switzerland’s Dominic Geisseler taking the gold ahead of Israel’s Mor Michael Sapir thanks to his better qualification climb. With a hold 38 climb, Romania’s Liviu-Nicolae Matei took the final podium spot with hold 38 one better than Luxembourg’s Joe Schmit who missed out.

Women’s AU3

There was another qualification countback , this time in the women’s AU3 as Rosalie Schuapert of Germany and Manca Smrekar of Slovenia both reached hold 27. It was the German climber who took the gold thanks to her better qualification climb with Smrekar settling for silver on this occasion. There was another German climber on the podium with Ria Grindel reaching hold 17+.

Schuapert said: “I’m really happy. I’m just a bit tired as isolation was really long, but I’m happy.

“I didn’t really like the route. It was quite slopey, but it was challenging which was a good thing.”

So if Schuapert didn’t like the route and won gold, what happens when she does like the route?

“I don’t know. Maybe a top.”

Men’s AL1

It was Austria versus USA in the men’s AL1, and to the delight of the home crowd it was Austria who came away with a gold and silver medal. Angelino Zeller was in top spot with a hold 54 climb and he was joined by silver medallist and teammate Markus Pösendorfer on the podium. Tanner Cislaw was the American climber to join them with teammate Jake Frank missing out.

Men’s AL2

Ethan Zilz of the USA took gold in the men’s AL2 with a 44+ climb. Iván Germán Pascual of Spain took silver on hold 41+ and Belgium’s Frederik Leys took bronze on hold 40+. Missing out on the AL2 podium was USA’s Gavin Nix, Japan’s Yuki Shuhei and Italy’s David Kammerer.

Women’s AL2

Yet another gold added to the collection of France’s Lucie Jarrige with a commanding win in the women’s AL2. Jarrige hit hold 42+ compared to silver medallist USA’s Morgan Loomis’ climb of 23+. Portugal’s Tânia Chaves was in bronze position with a hold 23 climb beating Japan’s Watanabe Masako and Great Britain’s Joanna Newton to the podium.

Men’s B1

Japan’s Aita Sho continued his winning run with gold in the men’s B1. Hold 44 was good enough for top spot ahead of silver medallist Francisco Javier Aguilar Amoedo of Spain on hold 41 and bronze medallist Roland Paillax of Switzerland on hold 17+.

Men’s B2

A plus hold gave Romania’s Razvan Nedu a win in the men’s B2 with 39+ enough for gold ahead of silver medalllist Hamanoue Fumiya of Japan who reached hold 39. Bronze medallist Guillermo Pelegrín Gómez of Spain reached hold 28 with Italy’s Simone Salvagnin missing out on a medal.

Nedu said: “I’m surprised to win, I really didn’t expect it. I liked the route. I moved very smooth throughout until the last section where I was kind of stuck with my feet. I couldn’t get my feet in the right position for my hands. But I’m happy with what I did.”

Men’s B3

Romania’s Cosmin Florin Candoi produced a top in the men’s B3 to collect the gold medal. Japan’s Minowada Kazuhiro split two Romanian climbers on the podium taking silver ahead of bronze medallist Daniel-Bebe-Vasilică Andrei.

Women’s B1

With the podium decided after qualification in women’s B1, the final round was all about what colour medals would be going home with Italy’s Nadia Bredice, USA’s Emeline Lakrout and Switzerland’s Laila Grillo. The result remained the same as the previous round with Bredice taking gold, Lakrout silver and Grillo bronze.

Women’s B2

Austria’s Linda Le Bon took strength from the home crowd to move up from third in qualification to take gold with a hold 60+ climb in the women’s B2. USA’s Seneida Biendarra just missed out on top spot and had to settle for silver on hold 60. Germany’s Ivon Lawerenz completed the podium in bronze position and Austria’s Edith Scheinecker missed out.

Women’s B3

Linn Poston claimed gold in the women’s B3 with the USA climber hitting hold 60+. Hold 56 was the silver medal climb from France’s Elsa Boutel Menard with bronze medallist Ionela Dragan from Romania reaching hold 40+.

Men’s RP1

Kim Rishaug of Norway moved above rival Aloïs Pottier in the final climb to take gold in the men’s RP1. Rishaug reached hold 41, something that Pottier and Germany’s Korbinian Franck just missed out on both reaching 40+. That was enough for Pottier to take silver and Franckt to take bronze. Japan’s Takuya Okada was fouth, Australia’s Glen Todd was fifth, Great Britain’s Luke Jamieson was sixth and Germany’s  Sebastian Horn was seventh.

Rishaug said: “I feel good. The start was ok, but the end of the route was hard. I just went for it and that’s what got me the win. The others got the plus and I managed to get that last hold to win.”

With Arco the third and final stop in 2024, will Rishaug be there?

“I don’t know. I have a wife and a little girl at home. But I have a medal now so that might help. We will see.”

Men’s RP2

In the men’s RP2 it was ‘as you were’ from qualification with India’s Manikandan Kumar taking gold ahead of USA’s Benjamin Mayforth, despite both topping the final route. Because of the qualification result Kumar took the top step of the podium with Mayforth ahead of teammate Brayden Butler who reached hold 42+. Missing out on the podium  was Spain’s Iván Muñoz Escolar who reached hold 39.

Men’s RP3

A 50+ climb took Japan’s Tadashi Takano to victory in the men’s RP3 ahead of silver medallist Jamie Barendrecht of the Netherlands. Camille Caulier from Belgium took bronze despite reaching hold 36+ alongside France’s Bastien Thomas due to his better qualification round. It meant Thomas missed out on the podium with Great Britain’s Luke Smith and Czechia’s Frantisek Rys.

Women’s RP1

Belgium’s Pavitra Vandenhoven continued her strong climbing in the women’s RP1 to take gold with a hold 50+ climb. Spain’s Marta Peche Salinero overtook rival Eva Mol from the Netherlands switching positions from qualification to give the Spanish climber silver and Mol the bronze. Switzerland’s Sarah Longhi was just off the podium in fourth.

Women’s RP2

In the women’s RP2 Italy’s Chiara Cavina came away with the gold as the rest of the field struggled with the route. Austria’s Jasmin Plank joined Cavina on the podium taking silver and Norway’s Dina Eivis took bronze. USA’s Caroline Winstel and Japan’s Matoi Futahashi missed out on a medal.

Women’s RP3

Nat Vorel of the USA stayed top in the women’s RP3 reaching hold 38+ for gold. Great Britain’s Anita Aggarwal had a great final climb moving up from fourth in qualification to the silver medal position on hold 35. Italy’s Elisa Martin took the last spot on the podium on hold 31+ while Netherland’s Christiane Luttikhuizen missed oout on a medal.

For full results click here

The third and final event of the year for the World Cup Para Climbers will be in Arco, Italy in September.