Vita Lukan and Sorato Anranku take Gold at Briancon
- Monday 17th July 2023
Vita Lukan and Sorato Anranku take the Golds in the last IFSC World Cup Lead competition before the forthcoming World Championships in Bern.
With the World Championships in Bern looming the competition at Briancon over the weekend was the final World Cup before the short sabbatical. As with Chamonix the previous week, some of the top names – including our own Toby Roberts – have stepped aside from the hurly-burly of the World Cups to focus instead on their final preparations for Bern. Some, however, Stefano Grisolfi included, stepped back into the comp scene to stress-test his Lead fitness/game! The competition for finals places at Briancon however was just as fierce as always; IFSC commentator Matt Broom summed it well explaining that of the climbers in the semis, a significant number – 16-18 or so – had already made finals previously.
Sorato Anraku, a strong favourite to do well in the World Championships, dominated the men’s qualifications finishing with twin tops; the only climber to do so. With Toby Roberts concentrating on his training, Hamish McArthur and Jim Pope stepped forward doing the business for GB Climbing; respectively they finished 12th and joint 18th - both makings the semi-finals therefore.
Jain Kim and Chaehyun Seo led the women’s field after strong qualification climbs; both topped both routes. Molly Thompson-Smith secured a 7th place finish – the best qualification run of her season comfortably qualifying for the semi-finals.
Maintaining form, Sorato Anraku topped the semi-finals; joining him however - also with a top - was Masahiro Higuchi. As if that wasn’t sufficient domination a further five Japanese climbers also placed in the top ten. With so many Japanese climbers qualifying for the finals an all-Japanese podium was looking like a strong possibility. Sadly, Hamish and Jim were squeezed out and finished in 13th and joint 21st respectively. Just for context, the previous Briancon winner - Stefano Ghisolfi – finished in 14th.
Over in the women’s event, Eliska Adamovska finished in the top spot. Molly Thompson-Smith however gave the Brits in Briancon and at home something to cheer when she stormed the semi’s route to finish in 4th comfortably qualifying for the finals - her first since her 6th place finish back in July 2019 at Chamonix.
Having qualified for the finals in 8th place boulder specialist Yoshiyuki Ogata set the men’s final alight with a very near top before falling at move 49. Only three other climbers managed to better Ogata’s high point; Satone Yoshida, Taisei Homma and Sorato Anraku. Yoshida and Homma both fell at 49+ so when Sorato Anraku emerged to climb last he was in the same situation as Toby Roberts the weekend previous – he needed a top or very, very close to a top to be sure of the win. As it was, Sorato Anraku cruised the route looking very comfortable throughout - even on the slopers on the super steep (30deg) headwall. Impressively, all three podium positions when to Japanese climbers!
Climbing 3rd Vita Lukan took an early lead in the women’s final in a wonderful flowing performance which, in the event, wasn’t bettered. With Lukan taking the Gold, Eliska Adamovska and Manon Hily finished in 2nd and 3rd respectively. Molly Thompson-Smith was climbing superbly until a dry-fire off a left-handed layaway-cum-pinch ended her finals run. Her disappointment was very evident when she fell; seemingly, she had a fair bit left in the tank and could very well have gone much higher was it not for the slip. As it was, Molly finished in 5th place – one of her highest finishes ever following her two Bronze medals in the Continental Championship in Moscow in November 2020 and in the Kranj WC back in 2017.
The next competition action will be the all-important World Championships in Bern in early August. As if the competition won’t be fierce enough and your average World Championship, the first Olympic qualification places will be allocated to the highest placed Combined athletes in Bern. The already superb season is about to get red-hot and with Toby Roberts in an excellent position all eyes will be on Bern as he bids to become one of the athletes getting an early Olympic ticket.
Watch the highlights of the finals below…