Canadians Head to the Kranj Lead World Cup, Watch Finals

Kranj, hosting Lead World Cup events since 1996, again plays a pivotal role in the Lead season this year. Lead athletes are competing for positioning in the season rankings before the two concluding events in October, and performances in Kranj could decide final podiums.

Canadians Sean McColl and Becca Frangos will be representing Canada this weekend, both having competed at the World Championships in Innsbruck two weeks ago.

For the last week I’ve been training super hard with the Austrian gals on brand new routes in Innsbruck after the World Championships.✊For now my time in Innsbruck is over as I’m heading to Kranj, Slovenia ?? tomorrow for the last European World Cup of this season. Really looking forward to it! ? @sytsevanslooten . . . @rockymountainsoapco @pauwfoundation @lasportivana @flashedclimbing @movementfactoryholds @piseworld @peakkinetics #flashedpodium #climbfreeclimbfearlessly #poweredbypise #ifscwc2018 #climbing #bouldering #klettern #escalade #strong #training #teamcanada

A post shared by Becca Frangos (@becca_frangos) on Sep 26, 2018 at 6:42am PDT

Two weeks after the conclusion of the IFSC World Championships, Lead world champions Jessica Pilz and Jakob Schubert (AUT), Combined world champions Janja Garnbret of Slovenia and Schubert and Bouldering world champion Kai Harada (JPN) head to Kranj, Slovenia, for the 5th Lead event of the 2018 IFSC World Cup season.

Garnbret and Pilz have dominated all season long, occupying first and second place among women athletes at the first four Lead events of 2018 in July. Pilz gained momentum on the biggest stage this month, arriving at the top hold quicker in finals to best Garnbret at the biannual IFSC World Championships.

Garnbret ranks first in the IFSC World Cup season rankings for Lead after connecting back-to-back wins, and the reigning Lead season champion will be climbing at home where she won gold in 2017.

Another medal for Garnbret and first place for Pilz would clinch spots on the Lead season podium for both athletes. Multiple athletes are strong contenders to join them on the Lead season podium, including Manon Hily of France and 2017 medallists Jain Kim (KOR) and Anak Verhoeven (BEL). Also keep an eye on Slovenia’s own Tjasa Kalan and veteran Mina Markovic, both ranked in the top ten and set to climb alongside Garnbret in front of their home crowd.

Schubert is the only athlete to win multiple gold medals this year in Lead for the men, having won the most recent IFSC World Cup in Lead and the first Lead event of the season.

Fresh off his victories at the IFSC World Championships 2018, another triumph this weekend in Kranj would make it even more difficult to unseat Schubert from the Lead season podium. Reigning Lead season champion Romain Desgranges (FRA) and Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA) will try to end his winning streak, and Domen Skofic of Slovenia is also on the start list.

Slovenia, 2nd in #IFSCwc team season rankings for Lead, will have 5 Top-10 athletes climbing at home this weekend, World Cup Kranj number 15 for @miiiinam! LIVE streaming starts tomorrow at ifsc-climbing.org #SlovenijaPleza ? @thecircuitclimbing

A post shared by IFSC (@ifsclimbing) on Sep 28, 2018 at 2:16am PDT

Qualified athletes for the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 have been game changers in the IFSC World Cup series this year, and three of them are registered to compete in Kranj before the debut of Sport Climbing on the Olympic stage in October. Vita Lukan and Lucka Rakovec are set to represent Slovenia at home.

Since the previous IFSC World Cup in Lead, Lukan became Lead youth world champion at the IFSC Youth World Championships in the Juniors category, and Rakovec competed in Lead semi-finals at the IFSC World Championships. Nolwenn Arc (FRA), runner-up behind Lukan at IFSC Youth World Championships 2018, will join them in Kranj. Click here for the full list of starters.