Cocoricooooo! Oriane Bertone climbs into the final of the Bouldering World Cup in Meiringen tonight! A look back at the women’s semifinals of this first international round of the year.
Janja Garnbret (very) way above!
From 11.30 am this morning, the first climbers faced the wide boulder pediment of Meiringen, where four boulders with very different styles were formed. Coordination, strength, balance and envelopment were on the agenda for the 20 semifinalists.
Very quickly we understand that the first two blocks are affordable, but the last two are much more difficult. As the competition progresses, blocks 3 and 4 remain unclimbed. None of the first 18 climbers will reach the top… This shows the intensity of these passages!
Then come THE big favorites of the competition, Janja Garnbret† After completing the first two boulders with alarming ease (she will follow these first two routes on the spot), she brings all her experience to the table to succeed in climbing to the top of boulder n°3. After more than two hours of competition without seeing a top in this highly physical block, the crowd is on fire for the Olympic champion’s performance.
But it doesn’t stop there. As proof of her incredible world dominance, she took off on the last rock of the circuit with a smile on her face. As if gravity no longer has its hold on her, she manages to tame the coordination that has made all climbers fall for her. So much so that she connects this boulder by sight! An incredible achievement, made even more meaningful when you know that all the other climbers before her were unable to complete the passage, even after countless attempts.
All? Not really. Because the American Natalia Grossman, who aspires to be Janja Garnbret’s No. 1 rival, will also succeed in completing this boulder. After three initial failed attempts, she will also manage to return both hands to the final hold. After also chaining the first two boulders into view, she took second in the standings, just behind the Slovenian, who was absolutely unstoppable in this semi-final.
Oriane Bertone ready to win another medal!
Oriane Bertone set fire to the Tricolor Clan this morning! She will remain at the top of the rankings for most of the competition. Only after the passage of Natalia Grossman and Janja Garnbret does our Frenchwoman relegate to third place. But what a brilliant start to the circuit for Oriane Bertone!
She is one of the few competitors to chain Block 1 on sight. She then demonstrated equally formidable efficiency by chaining the slab of Block 2 in just two attempts. So in just three runs she had already validated the first two blocks. Very quickly, she validates the areas of the last two routes, without succeeding in reaching the top. But with 2 boulders in 3 attempts and 4 zones, she won a brilliant third place and will play a new final in Meiringen. Let’s not forget that last year she was on the second step of the podium here in Meiringen… See you tonight for the final results!
Fanny Gilbert, the second tricolor climber to come in this morning, just missed qualifying for the final. Like the first ten participants in the ranking, she manages to chain the first two boulders in 7 attempts. She then validates the zone of block No. 3, but will fail to start in coordination with the last pass, preventing her from reaching the zone. A lack of success that robs her of the final and the competition finished in 8th place.
The full results of the women’s semifinals
The rest of the program
Saturday April 9:
11:00 AM – 1:15 PM: Women’s Semifinals
6:00 pm: ladies final
Sunday April 10:
11:00 AM – 1:15 PM: Men’s semi-finals
4 p.m.: men’s final
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