The Women’s US Boulder National Team is Decided
The Boulder division of the US National Team has been decided. These women will compete in the World Cup Circuit
Yesterday evening, USA Climbing’s National Team Trials Boulder competition concluded at Stone Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. The National Team Trials event selected three men and three women to join the US National Team for 2022. These competitors will go on to compete in the 2022 Boulder World Cup Series.
There are a total of five spots per gender on USA Climbing’s National Boulder team. Four of those spots, two per gender, are currently occupied by US Olympian and Tokyo silver medalist Nathaniel Coleman, multi-World Cup gold medalist Sean Bailey, US Olympian Brooke Raboutou, and multi-World Cup gold medalist and Boulder World Champion Natalia Grossman.
After a very difficult qualification round, the women’s category pitted 20 women against each other in the semi-final. Already exhausted, those competitors who could resist the strain of competition pushed into the final. Six competitors went up against one another is this event.
Quinn Mason was first out for the women on the first boulder problem. The powerful problem began on a positive dual-texture undercling before pumping out into a crimp screwed into fibreglass. Mason kicked her feet into the following flathold pinches, camming them above her head before attaining the first with her hand. Although she did not Top, Mason flashed to Zone setting a standard for the rest of the round.
The rest of the women followed by flashing the Zone, but nobody topped the first climb. A powerful press problem described W2 and all but Adriene Akiko managed a Top. Cloe Coscoy, a woman who recently scored first at the Canadian National Lead Championships, retained first place after flashing the powerful problem. The highlight of W2, however, was Maya Madere’s incredible, dynamic uncuffing. She flipped from a crossed grip into a compression.
W3 offered an odd sort of overhang that pushed climbers into awkward positions. Kylie Cullen became the only woman to ascend the problem taking first after her flash of W2. Coscoy took up second position where NACS Champion, and US Boulder champion, Costanza made up third. Coscoy led by three attempts to Top. Mason and Madere remained in the running as they shared one top and two zones with Coscoy and Costanza.
It all came down to W4. A powerful jump move separated the first holds. This would be the first crux on this few-move boulder. The next came after attaining a sloping zone. The stand before the final jump proved difficult for Coscoy. While Coscoy is one of the strongest women in the field, she could not quite make the final stand in preparation for the final jump. Instead, Cullen, Madere and Costanza concluded the round with the only Tops of W4 and earned their spots on the US Boulder National team.
Each of these women have pushed closer and closer to the top over these last National Event and North American Cup Series events from this last year. Speed qualifications began today. Meanwhile, Canada’s High Performance competition is underway. The will not livestream this event.
The US Speed final will be available via livestream here at 6:00pm EST on March 11, 2022.
Result
1 – Kylie Cullen
2 – Maya Madere
3 – Melina Costanza
4 – Cleo Coscoy
5 – Quinn Mason
6 – Adriene Akiko
US Boulder National Team: Women
Brooke Raboutou
Natalia Grossman
Kylie Cullen
Maya Madere
Melina Costanza
Featured image of Kylie Cullen by Bree Robles from USA Climbing
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