Last weekend, the IAA World Cup stage in ice climbing took place in Switzerland. Saas Fee, located at an altitude of about 2000 meters in the Alps, hosted the second stage of the World Tour, which continues the tradition of UIAA-sanctioned competitions since 2000. This is reported by MiddleAsianNews.
This year, 137 athletes from 19 countries participated in the competition, which is a 13% increase compared to last year. In turn, last year the number of participants increased by 16% compared to the previous one. Such growth indicates the increasing popularity and level of preparation in this sport.
The competitions, which included the European Championship, took place on Friday and consisted of qualification rounds for difficulty (in the "lead" category) and all speed competitions, while on Saturday, the difficulty competitions concluded. This is always one of the most spectacular events of the season, and crowds of spectators gather on the spiral platform to closely observe the endurance, precision, and technique of the participants. The support of the audience often inspires athletes to outstanding achievements on one of the highest walls of the World Tour.
The speed competitions use a unified format, where the climber competes against the clock. In Saas Fee, incredibly fast ascents occur. In this category, Mongolian athlete Selenge Nyamdoo won the title of World Cup champion.
The competition also featured world champions Aneta Loužecká from the Czech Republic and Catalina Shirley from the USA, who aimed to improve their results from the first round, while the reigning World Cup champion Selenge Nyamdoo targeted winning her first medal of the season.
