“For the Slovenian Climbing community that is growing rapidly, the competition in Koper is very important because it brings the best climbers to Slovenia,” said Paris 2024 champion Janja Garnbret.
The IFSC World Cup Series 2024 is set to return in Koper, Slovenia, with this season’s fifth round of Lead competition.
After making its first appearance in the IFSC calendar in 2022, the Slovenian city on the Adriatic coast will host a Lead World Cup for the third consecutive year, setting the stage for this season’s grand finale in Seoul, South Korea, from 2 to 6 October.
Some 134 athletes are registered to compete in Koper: 66 men and 68 women, representing 29 nations and four continents.
Paris 2024 gold medallist, and winner of the women’s event in Koper in 2023 Janja Garnbret will headline the home team, also featuring Jennifer Eucharia Buckley – two-time gold medallist at last month’s IFSC Youth World Championships Guiyang 2024, Luka Potocar – gold medallist in Koper in 2022, and Rosa Rekar – also a gold medallist at Guiyang 2024.
“Of course I feel some pressure, even after the Olympics,” said Garnbret. “This is a great thing about the home World Cup. So many people that you know come to support. And for the Slovenian Climbing community that is growing rapidly, the competition in Koper is very important because it brings the best climbers to Slovenia. I know the atmosphere is going to be great, it always is. From the hotel staff to the field of play, I am sure the vibes will be amazing.”
Garnbret also commented on the possibility of winning what would be her sixth Lead World Cup title: “To be honest, I am not thinking about it so much. I am thinking more about enjoying my climbing, having fun, being myself on the wall. If that leads to me winning the Lead title, I will of course be happy. My biggest goal was the Olympics and I succeeded in meeting the expectations, so everything else is a bonus.”
Also competing in the women’s Lead event are Lynn Van Der Meer of the Netherlands, coming from the Lead bronze she won at the European Championships in Villars, Switzerland, last month; and Flora Oblasser of Austria, who made finals in two of her only three World Cup participations.
Along with Potocar, the winner of the men’s Lead event in 2023, Anraku Sorato of Japan, will also return to Koper. The 17-year-old from Chiba, current holder of both the Boulder and Lead World Cup titles, won silver at Paris 2024 and will be joined by six other male Olympians: Hannes Van Duysen of Belgium, Yannick Flohé and Alexander Megos of Germany, Olympic champion Toby Roberts of Great Britain, Lee Dohyun of South Korea, and Sascha Lehmann of Switzerland.
The IFSC World Cup Koper 2024 will kick off tomorrow at 9:00 (UTC+2:00) with Lead qualifications, while semi-finals are scheduled to close day one and start at 20:00. The men’s final will open the programme on Saturday 7, starting at 20:00 and followed by the women’s one.
Lead semi-finals and finals will be live streamed on the IFSC YouTube channel, Geographical restrictions will apply., for more information on where to watch and follow the IFSC World Cup Series 2024 click here.
News and updates about the IFSC World Cup Koper 2024 will be available on the IFSC website and the Federation’s digital channels: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, and exclusively for the Chinese audience, Douyin and Weibo.
