Garnbret and Harada Win Boulder World Championships

The following is the press release from the IFSC for the bouldering world championships in Innsbruck.

? BOULDER WORLD CHAMPION ?This photo speaks to me on so many levels – The stress, the struggle, the tears, the disappointment, the training, the persistence, the desire, the goals, the dreams, the success. I gave everything I had and my dream came true. I never imagined that I would be where I am now and words can’t describe my feelings after the last boulder. This day will always be cherished in my heart ? Thank you to all of the people who make moments like this possible. My familiy, my friends, my coach @gorazdhren, my sponsors @fiveten_official @camp1889 @pazi.to @avtohisaklemencic @lapisholds #CTeam and my boyfriend @domen_skofic I love you so so much!! ❤️❤️❤️ . ?: @lukafonda @fiveten_official #brandofthebrave @camp1889 #campcassin @pazi.to #zavarovalnicatriglav @avtohisaklemencic #fordkaplus @lapisholds #CTeam @sloveniaclimbing

A post shared by JANJA GARNBRET (@janja_garnbret) on Sep 16, 2018 at 9:38am PDT

Slovenian Janja Garnbret, runner-up in Lead last week in Innsbruck, and Kai Harada of Japan stormed to the top of the Bouldering podiums on Thursday and Friday at the 2018 IFSC World Championships.

After topping every route the week prior in Lead but placing 2nd on time in finals, Garnbret left no doubt in Bouldering. She was the only athlete in semi-finals on Thursday morning to flash three problems.

Bouldering season champion in the IFSC World Cup series Miho Nonaka (JPN), previous Bouldering world champion Petra Klingler (SUI) and newly crowned Lead world champion Jessica Pilz (AUT) were among the athletes handling the pressure on the last problem to advance.

Four more challenging problems awaited the six finalists in the evening, requiring maximum effort to score tops as well as zone points.

A zone point is marked on every problem at a difficult to reach hold and breaks ties when the same number of tops are completed (number of attempts to tops and then number of attempts to zone points would break remaining ties).

Stasa Gejo (SRB) was first to solve the multi-move jump start to score the zone point on the first problem (W1), but Garnbret took the lead by securing the jump and sticking the dyno to the finishing hold for the top.

Technical moves on a steep section of the Bouldering wall forced the finalists into contorted positions on W2, and Garnbret gained another advantage by scoring the zone point.

Not my day, not my boulders and not the happiest with my result – 17th place. Bouldering has changed a lot and I have a lot of work ahead to catch up the other guys in the modern style. Standing on flat volumes and dynos is what I must improve at. Times of conservative boulders are gone and I must adapt. Not that I would not have known it before the comp, I have still progressed a lot in the last month, but there is still long way to go. Luckily I still made it to the combined finals from the 5th place, so I get the chance to climb tomorrow. Pic by @bjornpohl @blackdiamond @montura_official @lasportivagram @mytendon

A post shared by Adam Ondra (@adam.ondra) on Sep 15, 2018 at 8:32am PDT

Gejo and Akiyo Noguchi (JPN) topped the W3 slab, but Garnbret sealed the world title in Bouldering and a second medal in Innsbruck with another top and zone point. Noguchi kept the body tension on the strength-based final problem to overtake Gejo for 2nd place, and Gejo won the first medal for Serbia at the IFSC World Championships.

Obtaining four tops in the men’s semi-final on Friday was the ticket to advancing to finals. Bouldering season champion Jernej Kruder (SLO) and previous world champion Tomoa Narasaki (JPN), leaders after qualifications, missed one top and did not advance.

All six finalists topped the first problem of the men’s Bouldering final on Friday evening, but Jongwon Chon (KOR) took an early lead by completing the triple dyno and continuing for the top on his first attempt.

Highlights:

On the M2 slab, Harada scored a flash of his own to gain a lead he would never give up. He was the first athlete to connect the technical moves on M3, solving the palm press at the zone point and seamlessly switching into the barn-door swing before topping.

Chon and Kokoro Fujii (JPN) also completed the problem, and Gregor Vezonik (SLO) secured the zone point in the final seconds of his turn to stay in the medal hunt. Harada showed precision under pressure on the last problem.

He latched the tiny thumb catch at the zone point and kept his composure on the next moves for the flash, securing his first gold medal at a senior IFSC event on the biggest stage.

Chon placed 2nd with one less top, and Vezonik placed 3rd behind Chon by zone point attempts after scoring the only other top of M4.

Tough and exhausting boulder qualification round yesterday ? Had to put on my try hard face especially for this boulder ? Curious what the routesetters have prepared for the semis ? . ?: @lukafonda ?: @peter_hribar @fiveten_official #brandofthebrave @camp1889 #campcassin @pazi.to #zavarovalnicatriglav @avtohisaklemencic #fordkaplus @lapisholds #CTeam @sloveniaclimbing

A post shared by JANJA GARNBRET (@janja_garnbret) on Sep 12, 2018 at 12:48pm PDT