Last weekend, a stage of the IAA World Cup in ice climbing took place in Switzerland at the resort of Saas Fee, located at an altitude of about 2000 meters in the Alps. This event has become part of the tradition of holding UIAA-sanctioned competitions that began in 2000. This information is provided by MiddleAsianNews.
This year, 137 athletes from 19 countries are participating in the competition, which is 13% higher than last year's figure, which was, in turn, 16% higher than the year before. This indicates the growing popularity of ice climbing and the high level of preparation of the participants.
The competitions, which include the European Championship, take place on Friday and consist of qualification rounds for difficulty (in the "lead" position) and speed competitions, concluding on Saturday with difficulty competitions. These events always attract a large number of spectators who gather on the spiral platform to observe the endurance, precision, and technique of the athletes. Public support often inspires participants to achieve outstanding results on one of the most famous walls of the World Tour.
As for the speed competitions, they follow a uniform format where climbers compete against the clock. In Saas Fee, participants often demonstrate astonishing ascent speeds. In this category, the victory was claimed by Mongolian athlete Selenge Nyamdoo, who became the World Cup champion.
Aneta Louzecka from the Czech Republic and Catalina Shirley from the USA, who won medals at the competitions in Chhonsone, were trying to improve their results in the first round, while the reigning World Tour champion Selenge Nyamdoo aimed to win a medal for the first time this season.
