As was forecast, the penultimate UIAA Ice Climbing Continental Cup of the season held in Sunderland witnessed a number of ice climbers achieve career best performances.
Some 70 athletes from 11 countries took part in the difficulty (lead) only competition held in the northeast of England and organised by the Scottish Dry-Tooling Club and the British Mountaineering Council.
One of the form athletes of the entire circuit, Spain’s Jorge Veiga Rodriguez (a World Cup silver and a Continental Cup gold in his last two events going into this weekend), won the men’s competition as the only athlete to top the route. In doing so the 20 year old from Hervas has effectively won the Continental Tour with only the round in Oulu, Finalnd still to take place. Joining him on the podium was a French climber in his late 30s who made a UIAA podium for the first time. Pierre Alexandr Keller, 38, claimed silver ahead of teammate Basile Fetet, who repeated his bronze medal from Sunderland a year ago.
Team France enjoyed even greater success in the women’s event. Ilona Serrer, only 21, has been a breakout talent this season and after two bronze medal performances, stepped up in Sunderland to dominant the competition. She clearly likes the venue having won silver last year. There was also joy for the British team, the BMC being another federation who have committed significant resources to this year’s World Tour. Caitlin Connor, 22, from Glasgow, won silver. Connor is one of a number of British athletes who has graduated through the youth competitions. Three years ago she won a silver in the World Youth Championships in Finland. Bronze went to Liechtenstein’s Lea Beck, an athlete who has been a force on the World Tour for a number of years. To note also the impressive performance of another BMC climber. Mia Coia, only 17, and fresh from medalling twice at the World Youth Championships last weekend, finished fourth.
The next UIAA Ice Climbing event is a World Cup in Longmont, Colorado, USA from 20-22 February.
Current Continental Season Rankings (after six rounds)
Women: TBC
Men: TBC
Photos from the event will be available shortly.
Further Resources
Photo: Last weekend’s UIAA Ice Climbing Continental Cup in Malbun.
Credit: UIAA / Daniel Mangeng
