After surprisingly eliminating some favorites in the semi-final, six athletes fought for the title this evening. Gold is won by 19-year-old Japanese Kai Harada.
At the World Climbing Championships in Innsbruck, six finalists fought today for the world champion title in bouldering in Olympiaworld, which was packed to the last seat. After title defender Tomoa Narasaki was eliminated in the semifinals, it was clear that there would be a new world champion. The boulderers delivered to the end of a very exciting match. The route setters had built a perfect lap of show factor and difficulty.
Kai Harada takes the lead with Flash
The first boulder, a very long jump, all finalists climbed to the top. The Korean Jongwon Chon only needed one try, which is why he took over the intermediate tour. There were four tops in the second boulder. Here Kai Harada managed a flash, which is why he was the new leader. After the third boulder, all finalists apart from Nathan Phillips still had a chance of winning the title.
Tears of joy at the 19-year-old Japanese
Kai Harada was on the first intermediate tier before the last boulder and had it in his own hands. The only 19-year-old seized the opportunity that presented itself to him. He flashed the boulder and won the final early. At the top he knew that he was sure of the title. Tears of joy then flowed on the mat. “I have no words for it. I was very focused and did my best, ”Harada told the roaring audience.
Silver medalist Jongwon Chon thanks the audience for the mood
Gregor Vezonik was the only one of the finalists who also cracked the last boulder. The Slovenian secured bronze with it. Silver went to Jongwon Chon, who needed fewer attempts than Vezonik for his four zones. Audience favorite Chon, who won a World Cup in Innsbruck in 2016, was delighted with silver: “Today is my best day. In 2017 I won the overall World Cup, but this year I didn't really get going at the beginning. The World Cup is the most important competition of the year. I may not have won, but I really enjoyed the competition. The audience was just fantastic. Thanks very much!"
The Slovenian team inspires each other
Gregor Vezonik explained his success with the good dynamism in the Slovenian team: “This year we are doing well. We are a great team and we push each other. After I won the last Bouldering World Cup in Munich, a medal was my goal. ”Fourth place went to Keita Watabe. Kokoro Fujii was fifth and Nathan Phillips was sixth.
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We report daily from the World Championships 2018 in Innsbruck. Articles can be found in the Category competition, Information in between and live stream links are on Instagram and Facebook.
Replay of the Boulderfinals
Credits: Picture Tallers Photopress