Team USA Dominates Finals in Villars World Cup
Team USA cements itself as one of the strongest international teams on the circuit, while the Women's Field presents a new level of strength.
Every so often there comes an event that describes a change in the sport of climbing. Although subjective, the Villars lead World Cup could well represent one of these moments.
A misty evening in Villars would descend upon the Men’s field as France’s Paul Jenft began climbing his route. Although he climbed well, his performance would climb in the shadow of Team USA’s Colin Duffy. The young Olympian qualified for Finals in seventh and was, as a result, second out on the route. Moving smooth through the first several feet of climbing, it became clear that Duffy would approach the top. He did not appear tired.
By the time he fell, Duffy would have secured first position five holds and a plus above Paul Jenft. This position would go unmatched until German Olympian Alex Megos began the route. Climbing four moves further, Megos would slip in the humid conditions. Still he would secure first position.
With only two athletes to go, it had not become clear who would win the event. While the following competitors, Sean Bailey and Alberto Ginés López did each offer a high-level of strength, neither features the consistency of Adam Ondra, a climber not present in Villars.
Like Duffy, this event became Bailey’s first Lead Final at a World Cup. He would move with a certainty that would take him to first position. Still, the top ranked climber had yet to try the route.
After pulling on, López appeared uncomfortable. The Spanish Olympian moved well, but it did not seem as though he moved in the way he would have liked to and, falling early, cemented the win for Bailey.
The fact that both Bailey and Duffy made podium in the first Lead Finals speaks volumes of Team USA’s new approach to training. The team focused atmosphere has allowed the Americans a consistency reflected across categories. Even more than that, Bailey’s progress in these last World Cups have stood him apart from all others.
In Lead and Boulder, the American has presented himself to be his country’s most proficient Male competitor. To that effect, Duffy has also earned himself a Darkhorse nomination for Finals in Tokyo due to his performance here in Villars and steady progression in this season’s World Cups.
To that effect, many have awaited Megos and his performance. While everyone knows the German to almost climb without match on rock, his ability has not translated well to plastic in this last season. He will find joy in being the top ranked Olympian from this, his last World Cup before the Olympics.
Although the Men’s event did offer a high level of excitement, Women’s Finals may have offered even more uncertainty and strength under pressure. Team USA’s Natalia Grossman led the round as she qualified for Finals in eighth position.
Despite the unfortunate fact that the stream froze during her climb, Grossman climbed near the top of the wall and held first place through the next five competitors. While a few other athletes would come close, in score, to meeting the American’s high-point, the dynamic red-point crux featured a one-two dynamic sloper move that proved wall-like to all of the lower ranked competitors. All, except Grossman.
Only upon reaching the Italian Olympian Laura Rogora did the young American find herself usurped of her first place position. Rogora showed a unique strength in almost climbing the dynamic move statically, a feat that came as a surprise given her slightly shorter stature and the difficulty of the lock-off. Even Garnbret would ultimately move dynamically through the holds.
Upon reaching the final crux, a semi-dynamic dead-point-press to the clipping chains, Rogora slowed to a stop. She did not appear too pumped, but at such a late stage in the climb, with only 15 seconds to go, the static climber made a leap of faith to secure the final grip. She clipped the chains with less than 10 seconds on the clock.
For the first time in this World Cup, but notably not the first time this season, Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret found herself in the hot seat. After the cheers, it is possible she knew she would have to send the route to win. Garnbret climbed in a surprisingly controlled manner and took very few liberties on her journey to the top of the wall.
Although the Slovenian Olympian would commit to the dyno over static beta, even this appeared calculated. Garnbret also appeared pumped at a relatively low portion of the climb. These details only build to describe her mental fortitude. This ascent spoke nothing of the lighthearted approach Garnbret normally brings to competition. Instead, she dialled in and sent.
In the end the results show one fact over all others. The Women’s field has brought itself up to Garnbret’s level. Garnbret certainly remains the world’s strongest female competition climber, but the rest of the field will force routesetters to increase the difficulty of the female route as it becomes more common for more than one athlete to complete all of the available moves.
This happened with Grossman and Garnbret in SLC, though Grossman won, as well as in Innsbruck. There, Garnbret won. In both Boulder events both athletes topped all Final problems. For it to happen again, but in Lead and with another athlete, shows that the field has increased its strength.
Nonetheless, Garnbret remains high above the rest in terms of the combined Olympic format. After making the Speed World Cup Finals also in Villars this week, the Slovenian appears almost unmatchable. With that said, in the regular World Cup circuit, this year, or more likely next year, there could begin to exist surprises.
Final Results:
Men
1 : Sean Bailey (USA)
2 : Alexander Megos (GER)
3 : Colin Duffy (USA)
4 : Sebastian Halenke (GER)
5 : Alberto Ginés López (ESP)
6 : Paul Jenft (FRA)
7 : Masahiro Higuchi (JPN)
8 : Zento Murashita (JPN)
Women
1 : Janja Garnbret (SLO)
2 : Laura Rogora (ITA)
3 : Natalia Grossman (USA)
4 :Â Momoko Abe (JPN)
5 : Vita Lukan
6 : Aleksandra Totkova (BUL)
7 : Lucka Rakovec (SLO)
8 : Mia Krampl (SLO)
Featured Image of Sean Bailey by Daniel Gajda.
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