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
Photos from the event can be found here.
Continental Cup
Spanish success continued into the Continental Cup which took place after the World Youth Championships. Having claimed his first World Cup level medal in Saas-Fee last week, Jorge Veiga Rodriguez won gold topping the route in 4 minutes, 55 seconds, a mere four seconds ahead of second place Jonathan Brown, Switzerland. Bronze went to fellow Swiss athlete Paul Zurbrugg. Rodriguez and Brown are now one and two in the overall season standings.
Swiss athlete Celina Bosshard won a tight women’s event with Marianne van der Steen of the Netherlands coming in second and Ladina Heller, Switzerland, in third. Silver allowed van der Steen to extend her lead in the season rankings.
The event in Malbun was the fifth of seventh competitions which form the UIAA Ice Climbing Continental Cup series. Sunderland, England is the destination for the penultimate round which takes place on 6-8 February.
Current Continental Season Rankings (after five rounds)
Women: (1) M Van der Steen (NED), 317 points; (2) A Louzecka (CZE), 288 pts; (3) L Beck (LIE) 240 pts
Men: (1) J V Rodriguez (ESP), 259 points; (2) JA Brown (SUI) 245 pts; (3) A Gantner (LIE) 231 pts
Photos from the event can be found here.
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
