American Annie Sanders Wins Three Gold Medals

These last 10 days saw the beginning, middle and end of the 2021 IFSC Youth World Championships. Although this last week and a half featured 417 climber from 37 different nationalities, a few athletes stood apart from the rest.

The Youth World Championships included all three Sport Climbing disciplines. Athletes who competed in Boulder, Lead and Speed qualified for a Combined score. The Combined event also had a medal associated with it. Although the Paris 2024 Olympic format will not require athletes to compete in all three disciplines, some athletes have maintained this aspect of their training. One American benefited from doing so.

Annie Sanders

14-year-old Annie Sanders competed in all three disciplines, winning both Lead and Boulder in Russia. Her results reflected the performance of adult teammate Melina Costanza in the North American Cup Series this past weekend. Unlike Costanza, Sanders climbed through Speed as well, concluding her event in 11 place. Her combined result earned her three gold medals: Boulder, Lead, and Combined.

Although Sanders’s strength presented in previous competitions, her ability is independent of the Salt Lake City National Training Center. Sander trains with Team Texas, a climbing team with 30 USAC National Championships to their name. Much like the Colorado-based Team ABC, Team Texas stands far above most of the country in terms youth program performance. It represents the results of an intensive, team-based approach to climbing competitions.

Team Texas’s focus has earned Sanders numerous noteworthy performances. In October, she climbed God’s Own Stone, a 5.14a bolted in the Red River Gorge. In July, Sanders took first in Boulder and Lead at the USAC National Championships. She even managed third in Speed.

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Naturally, these results suggest that the young athlete will join Costanza as one to watch in the upcoming seasons. In some ways, the Youth World Championships speaks even greater volumes than an adult North American Cup Series simply due to the level of the international field.

Hamish McArthur

While Sanders’s performance was significant, she was not alone in her domination of the Youth World Championships. Great Britain’s Hamish McArthur also climbed a phenomenal competition, placing first in Boulder and Lead. Unlike Sanders, McArthur took silver in the Combined due to his low Speed ranking.

After coming 19 in the recent Briançon Lead World Cup, McArthur’s result at Youth Worlds represents either a strong week’s performance or the exceptional level of the open field. It likely speaks to both. McArthur mentioned in a recent Instagram post that he still has a lot to learn, a sentiment likely reflected by many youth athletes preparing to enter adult competition.

Although this week’s event concluded with incredible results, spectators have begun to look toward the next Lead World Cup. The event will take place in Kranj, Slovenia on September 3-4. Unlike many of the most recent competitions, the competition in Kranj will be Lead specific.

2021 Youth World Championships Result:

Junior men’s Boulder

1. Hamish McArthur (GBR)
2. Rei Kawamata (JPN)
3. Paul Jenft (FRA)

Junior women’s Boulder

1. Naïlé Meignan (FRA)
2. Emily Phillips (GBR)
3. Lucija Tarkus (SLO)

Junior women’s Lead

1. Nonoha Kume (JPN)
2. Lucija Tarkus (SLO)
3. Camille Pouget (FRA)

Junior men’s Lead

1. Hamish McArthur (GBR)
2. Paul Jenft (FRA)
3. Rei Kawamata (JPN)

Junior men’s Speed

1. Iaroslav Pashkov (RUS)
2. Ukolov Danila (RUS)
3. Lawrence Bogeschdorfer (AUT)

Junior women’s Speed

1. Franziska Ritter (GER)
2. Giulia Randi (ITA)
3. Capucine Viglione (FRA)

Junior men’s Combined

1. Lawrence Bogeschdorfer (AUT)
2. Hamish McArthur (GBR)
3. Johannes Hofherr (AUT)

Junior women’s Combined

1. Emily Phillips (GBR)
2. Lucija Tarkus (SLO)
3. Mahya Darabian (IRI)

Youth A men’s Boulder

1. Hannes Van Duysen (BEL)
2. Emil Zimmermann (GER)
3. Thorben Perry Bloem (GER)

Youth A women’s Boulder

1. Zélia Avezou (FRA)
2. Sara Copar (SLO)
3. Alessia Mabboni (ITA)

Youth A men’s Lead

1. Haruki Uemura (JPN)
2. Mejdi Schalck (FRA)
3. Timotej Romšak (SLO)

Youth A women’s Lead

1. Sara Copar (SLO)
2. Alessia Mabboni (ITA)
3. Liza Novak (SLO)

Youth A men’s Speed

1. Maksim Ryzhov (RUS)
2. Hryhorii Ilchyshyn (UKR)
3. Marco Rontini (ITA)

Youth A women’s Speed

1. Beatrice Colli (ITA)
2. Nuria Brockfeld (GER)
3. Callie Close (USA)

Youth A men’s Combined

1. Edvards Gruzitis (LAT)
2. Toby Roberts (GBR)
3. Timotej Romšak (SLO)

Youth A women’s Combined

1. Sara Copar (SLO)
2. Callie Close (USA)
3. Liza Novak (SLO)

Youth B men’s Boulder

1. Nikolay Rusev (BUL)
2. Sorato Anraku (JPN)
3. Augustine Chi (USA)

Youth B women’s Boulder

1. Anastasia Sanders (USA)
2. Meije Lerondel (FRA)
3. Sina Willy (AUT)

Youth B men’s Lead

1. Sorato Anraku (JPN)
2. Hugo Hoyer (USA)
3. Dillon Countryman (USA)

Youth B women’s Lead

1. Anastasia Sanders (USA)
2. Meije Lerondel (FRA)
3. Mio Nukui (JPN)

Youth B men’s Speed

1. Kirill Koldomov (RUS)
2. Samuel Watson (USA)
3. Yusuke Sugimoto (JPN)

Youth B women’s Speed

1. Daria Marciniak (POL)
2. Francesca Matuella (ITA)
3. Julie Fritsche (GER)

Youth B men’s Combined

1. Dillon Countryman (USA)
2. Nikolay Rusev (BUL)
3. Timo Uznik (AUT)

Youth B women’s Combined

1. Anastasia Sanders (USA)
2. Anastasia Kobets (UKR)
3. Sina Willy (AUT)

Featured Image of Annie Sanders