While Team Spain took the plaudits at the UIAA Ice Climbing World Youth Championships held this weekend in Malbun, Liechtenstein, winning the team award in both lead (difficulty) and speed, the competition proved to be an excellent platform for youth athletes to shine.
Gold medals in the Malbun sun went to athletes from seven different countries, the USA (2), Switzerland (4), Spain (2), Great Britain (1), Czechia (1), Mongolia (1) and hosts Liechtenstein (1). The event, held in the idyllic winter conditions, was supported by UIAA member association Liechtensteiner Alpenverein. Malbun has hosted UIAA events in the past – notably a European Cup in 2022.
Star turns included athletes who medalled in both disciplines such as Conner Bailey and Mathias Olsen of the United States, Ana Veiga Rodriguez and Maite Vila Lopez of Spain and Mia Coia of Great Britain. Over 70 athletes from 11 countries competed in the event which provides athletes competing in U16, U18 and U20 age categories to experience a world-class competition environment and infrastructure.
Results & Livestream Replays
U16, men, lead: (1) C Bailey (USA), (2) M Olsen (USA), (3) A Huta (CZE)
U16, women, lead: (1) A Veiga Rodriguez (ESP), (2) R Vesela (CZE), (3) R Van der Lee (NED)
U18, men, lead: (1) B Ziegler (SUI), (2) K Blasi (SUI), (3) D Romero Lazaro (ESP)
U18, women, lead: (1) J Zollinger (SUI), (2) M Coia (GBR), (3) T O’Carroll (GBR)
U20, men, lead: (1) L Perez Nieto (ESP), (2) Y Real White (ESP), (3) M Lienerth (CZE)
U20, women, lead: (1) L Eusepi (SUI), (2) J Tjon (NED), (3) M Vila Lopez (ESP)
U16, men, speed: (1) M Olsen (USA), (2) C Bailey (USA), (3) J Dziubczynski (USA)
U16, women, speed: (1) U Flury (LIE), (2) A Veiga Rodriguez (ESP), (3) EE Batchuluun (MGL)
U18, men, speed: (1) NM Dolf (SUI), (2) G Escudero Calvo (ESP), (3) D Unnasch (USA)
U18, women, speed: (1) M Coia (GBR), (2) C Calvin del Fresno (ESP), (3) M Purevsuren (MGL)
U20, men, speed: (1) V Novozamsky (CZE), (2) LE Dolf (SUI), (3) L Perez Nieto (ESP)
U20, women, speed: (1) A Janbota (MLG), (2) AD Stastna (CZE), (3) M Vila Lopez (ESP)
Team Rankings:
Lead: (1) Spain, (2) Switzerland, (3) USA
Speed: (1) Spain, (2) USA, (3) Czechia
Continental Cup
Report coming soon
Current Continental Season Rankings (after four rounds)
Women: (1) M Van der Steen (NED), 237 points, (2) A Louzecka (CZE), 237 pts, (3) M Salmon-Thomas (FRA), 221.5 pts
Men: (1) O Hamerský (CZE), 206 pts, (2) A Gantner (LIE), 176 pts, (3) V Devin (FRA), 166.5 pts
Further Resources
Event Programme
Event Pages – Continental Cup – World Youth Championships
Registrations
Live Results
Photo credit: UIAA Ice Climbing World Youth Championships in Malbun. UIAA/Mangeng Photography
