Yesterday the lead climbing final took place in Chamonix, where 17 athletes fought for a place on the podium in front of a spectacular backdrop. In the women's event, Olympic gold medalist Janja Garnbret of Slovenia claimed her third straight Lead World Cup gold medal, while in the men's, Czech Olympian Adam Ondra topped the podium, returning with a bang to the international competitive stage.
Nachdem Janja Garnbret Having celebrated a major milestone with her 50th World Cup medal win at the start of the 2022 lead season, she showed no signs of fatigue in Chamonix and led all rounds from qualification to the final. And so the Olympian earned her 52nd* World Cup medal – her 35th gold medal, including 21 in the lead discipline.
After yesterday's victory in Chamonix, Garnbret - two-time Lead World Champion, two-time Boulder World Champion and two-time Combination World Champion - has won all three Lead World Cups so far this season.
«I felt fluent. I'm usually more nervous when I've known a lot of girls before me, but this time I was super calm and relaxed. I only climbed with some caution because I knew I had to climb the route, but it was easy!»
Janja Garnbret
The Olympian came in second Laura Rogora from Italy, who claimed her fourth IFSC World Cup medal - all of which she won in the lead. The Italian was delighted with a top finish in the final but had to settle for the silver medal due to her performance in the previous rounds due to a tie with Garnbret.
The third place on the podium also went to an Olympian, viz Seo Chaehyun from South Korea. She climbed onto a World Cup podium for the ninth time in Chamonix.
The Austrian Olympian took fourth place Jessica mushroom, who also reached the top of the route but missed out on a podium finish due to her score from the preliminary rounds. The Japanese Tanii Natsuki finished fifth with 45+ points while Natalia Grossman and Brooke Raboutou from the USA each reached 43+. The American duo took sixth and seventh place. Eighth place went to the Slovenian Olympian Mia Krampl, who completed the final route at 37.
Ranking Women – Final Chamonix 2022
| Rank | Name | Country | Qualification | Semifinal | Final | |
| 1 | JANJA | GARNBRET | SLO | 5.05 | top | top |
| 2 | LAURA | ROGORA | ITA | 22.86 | top | top |
| 3 | CHAEHYUN | SEO | KOR | 5.05 | 37 | top |
| 4 | JESSICA | MUSHROOM | TUE | 20.72 | 30 | top |
| 5 | NATSUKI | TANII | JPN | 8.25 | top | 45+ |
| 6 | NATALIA | GROSSMAN | USA | 5.05 | top | 43+ |
| 7 | BROOKE | RABOUTOU | USA | 5.05 | 37 | 43+ |
| 8 | MIA | KRAMPL | SLO | 8.25 | 29+ | 37 |
Adam Ondra with a brilliant return
After a break after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Czech returned Adam Ondra came out of his break with a bang this weekend and claimed his 22nd World Cup gold medal. Ondra jumped to the top hold of yesterday's final route and although he didn't hold the hold, the Olympian secured first place with a score of 39+. This is Ondra's 37th podium in the World Cup.
«I definitely needed a break after the Olympics, but now I feel like it's time - I've gotten hungry for competition. I think I won the best lead world cup on the circuit which was Chamonix and it was a great decision - I enjoyed climbing here.»
Adam Ondra
Tie with Ondra's score of 39+ was Japan's Taisei Homma , who secured the silver medal. After last weekend's victory in Villars, Homma picked up his second medal of the season tonight - his third overall finish on an IFSC World Cup podium.
Adam Ondra on the victory in Chamonix (Audio)
The American completed the men's podium Sean bailey , who earned his fifth World Championship medal of his career with a score of 29+. After three podiums in 2021, this is the American's first podium of the current season.
The Slovenian Luka Potocar and the German Yannick Flohe both finished with the same score as Bailey, ultimately finishing fourth and fifth based on the results in the preliminary rounds and the time required for the final route.
Eighth place for the Swiss Sascha Lehmann
On home soil, France's Sam Avezou finished sixth with 25+ points, followed by the Brit Hamish McArthur in seventh place with the same score. The Swiss Sascha Lehmann finished in eighth place with 20+ points, while Japan's Satone Yoshida was ninth after slipping on the 12th grip.
Ranking Men – Final Chamonix 2022
| Rank | Name | Country | Qualification | Semifinal | Final | |
| 1 | ADAM | ONDRA | CZE | 8.83 | top | 39+ |
| 2 | TAISEI | HOMMA | JPN | 8.83 | 36+ | 39+ |
| 3 | SEAN | BALEY | USA | 8.83 | top | 29+ |
| 4 | LUKA | POTOCAR | SLO | 13 | top | 29+ |
| 5 | YANNICK | FLEA | GER | 8.83 | 36+ | 29+ |
| 6 | SAM | AVEZOU | FRA | 16.12 | 40+ | 25+ |
| 7 | HAMISH | MCARTHUR | GBR | 8.83 | 36+ | 25+ |
| 8 | SASHA | LEHMANN | SUI | 8.83 | 36+ | 20+ |
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* Janja Garnbret's medal table has been updated following an error in the results system that previously ruled out her silver medal win at the IFSC Lead World Cup Briançon 2020. Thus last weekend's Lead World Cup in Villars marked her 51st World Cup medal win and not her 50th as previously reported.
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Credits: Cover picture Petr Chodura