PARIS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 IFSC Climbing World Cup Chamonix concluded in Chamonix, France on Sunday, with several Olympic hopefuls taking gold.
In the men's speed climbing event, world record holder and Paris Olympic contender Samuel Watson of the United States had a consistent run during the knockout stage with three climbs under 4.90 seconds, the fastest being 4.83 seconds, just 0.04 seconds shy of the world record.
In the final, Watson faced off against China's rising star Wang Xinshang. Both athletes made mistakes in their last climb, but Watson emerged victorious with a time of 6.24 seconds, while Wang finished in 7.76 seconds, securing the silver medal.
After the competition, Watson commented on his recent training efforts to enhance climbing stability. "I've been working on my consistency with a boring two months training, well boring is not the right word, but tedious training cycle where I tried to work hard every day and I was looking forward to this trip so much," the 18-year-old said. "Having consistent 4.8's and near the world record is a dream for sure and shows I am in the right place," he added.
In the lead event, Watson's compatriot Collin Duffy claimed victory in the men's category, while the women's title was claimed by Japan's Ai Mori, who is also heading to the Paris Olympics.
In the women's speed climbing event, China's Zhang Shaoqin won her first gold medal in a major international competition after beating Poland's Natalia Kalucka with a 6.60-second run.
The 24-year-old Zhang, who had previously won the women's team relay at the Hangzhou Asian Games, demonstrated remarkable consistency, clocking sub-6.80-second times in all four elimination rounds, with her best being 6.58 seconds.
Zhang missed the opportunity to qualify for the Olympics, but she was still pleased with the progress she had made in recent months. "I'm so happy. I broke my personal best today," the 24-year-old said after the Chamonix final. "I really like this place, it is definitely my place of luck," she added. ■
微信扫描下方的二维码阅读本文
