The speed competition at the IFSC Climbing World Cup in Seoul ended with gold for Indonesia and Poland. The men's medals went to three strong climbers from Indonesia. Aleksandra Miroslaw won gold and a new world record for women.
A trio of talented Indonesian climbers led by Veddriq Leonardo took the top three places in the men's speed competition. Leonardo secured first place thanks to his teammate's false start Kiromal Katibin in the race for the gold medal.
"Of course I'm super happy and also quite excited because it's the first competition of the season," comments Leonardo. "I felt very safe throughout the final, that's an incredible feeling."
"I felt very safe throughout the final, that's an incredible feeling."
Veddriq Leonardo
Despite the disappointing final, Katibin took solace in the men's world speed record he set in qualifying when he clocked 5,17 seconds. By three hundredths of a second he undercut the previous record that Leonardo set last year at the World Cup in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Video: Kiromal Katibin sets new world record
The men's podium was taken by a third Indonesian – Rahmad Adi – completed, who faced in the small final Ludovico Fossali from Italy prevailed and won bronze.
Aleksandra Miroslaw equals own world record
The Polish Olympian secured herself in the women's speed category Aleksandra Miroslaw top spot on an IFSC World Cup podium for the sixth time in her career. Miroslaw, a multiple award-winning speed specialist, beat in the last race with an impressive time of 6,72 seconds Emma Hunt from the United States of America.
An even more impressive time was achieved by Miroslaw in the qualifying round, where she beat her own world record from the Tokyo Olympics (6,86 seconds) and reached the top in 6,64 seconds.
"Of course I'm very happy," says Miroslaw. "I made a lot of mistakes in the first two rounds, but the semi-finals and the final were pretty good." The mentality was very different from the qualification, where she set the world record. "Everyone knows that you are the fastest and you have to deal with a lot of pressure." Compatriot Aleksandra Kalucka finished third, beating Germany's Franziska Ritter in the bronze medal race.
That might interest you
- Is the criticism of the International Sport Climbing Federation justified?
- Adam Ondra wins the European Cup in Prague
- Janja Garnbret wins – Andrea Kümin comfortably third | Boulder World Cup Meiringen
+ + +
Credits: Cover picture Dimitris Tosidis / IFSC