IFSC World Climbing Championships Paris 2016

Bouldering
Japan soared to first place in the National Team Ranking for Bouldering this year, and their elite Athletes will certainly attract attention in Paris. With the inclusion of Sport Climbing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, such is all the more true. Tomoa Narasaki finished 10th at the IFSC Bouldering World Championships in Munich in 2014, but the 2016 Bouldering World Cup champion is poised for a podium this year. Runner-up Kokoro Fujii may join him. Also keep an eye on Akiyo Noguchi, who earned Bronze in 2014, and Miho Nonaka, who finished 2nd Overall this year in the 2016 Bouldering World Cup rankings. Champion Shauna Coxsey of Great Britain will not be competing in Paris due to an injury.

Lead
Adam Ondra stole the show in 2014 by becoming the first Athlete to win both the Lead and Bouldering IFSC World Championships in the same year. A month separated Munich from the IFSC Lead and Speed World Championships in Gijon, and to repeat the Czech Republic star must do so in the same week. Frontrunner of the 2016 Lead World Cup rankings, Domen Skofic, will try to stop him. Janja Garnbret was absent from the 2014 competitions, but look for Skofic's Slovenian teammate and leader of the 2016 Lead World Cup rankings for the Women in the Finals. Reigning 2014 victor Jain Kim of Korea has been strong enough this year to don Gold again at the World Championships, and Anak Verhoeven of Belgium dazzled at the most recent IFSC World Cup in Arco.

Speed
Also in Arco, Anouck Jaubert of France became the first Woman to win three consecutive IFSC Speed World Cups. The leader of the 2016 rankings will try to unseat Russian Alina Gaidamakina in her home country. For the Men, Marcin Dzienski of Poland also won his third in a row in Arco. He bested 2014 World Championships victor Danyil Boldyrev to do so. Currently ranked third in the 2016 rankings, the Ukranian Speed World Record holder can even the score in Paris.

Paraclimbing
In Women’s RP3 (limited range, power or stability) look for Elodie Orbaen of Belgium near the top ranks. The victor of the 2014 World Paraclimbing Championships in Gijon won the most recent Paraclimbing Cup in Campitello di Fassa, Italy. Hungarian Melinda Vígh also won at Campitello in Women’s AU -2 (forearm amputees), but she will have to contest with Maureen Beck of the USA in Paris. With the absence of Beck’s American teammate and 2014 champion, Christa Brelsford, runner-up Kate Sawford of Canada will have her sights set on Gold in Women’s A L-2 (leg amputees). In Men’s AL- 2, Urko Carmona Barandiaran was the only Athlete to reach the Top in 2014. The Spaniard
also donned Gold in Paris at the 2012 World Paraclimbing Championships, but Julien Gasc of France climbed higher in Campitello and is among the Starters this year. Gasc’s French teammate, Nicolas Moineau, will try to best Koichiro Kobayashi of Japan in Men’s B -1 (blind visual impairment) after falling shy of his high point in Gijon. Be sure to track
the progress of 2014 champion Mathieu Besnard as well in Men’s RP3 (limited range, power or stability)

A Weekend On-the-Air
While our top Athletes cut through the air, our broadcasting team will be airing LIVE all the SemiFinals and Finals for Lead, Bouldering, and Speed. Tune-in to the IFSC website September 16th -18th: http://www.ifsc-climbing.org Replays, Starters/Results and further information can be found on the dedicated Paris event page.

PROGRAM (GMT+2)
Wednesday 14th September
09.00-16:00 Bouldering Qualification Men
10:00-15:00 Lead Qualification Women

Thursday 15th September
09.00-16:30 Lead Qualification Men
10:00-15:00 Bouldering Qualification Women

Friday 16th September
11:00-13:30 Speed Qualification Men & Women
19:00-21:30 Bouldering Semi-Final Men (LIVE)
19:00-21:30 Lead Semi-Final Women (LIVE)

Saturday 17th September (LIVE)
09:00-11:30 Lead Semi-Final Men
09:00-11:30 Bouldering Semi-Final Women
17:00 Opening Ceremony (not LIVE)
17:30-19:00 Bouldering Final Men
19:30 Awarding Ceremony
20:15-21:00 Speed Final Men
21:00-22:00 Lead Final Women
22:00 Awarding Ceremony

Sunday 18th September (LIVE)
12:00-13:30 Bouldering Final Women
14:00 Awarding Ceremony
14:45-15:30 Speed Final Women
15:30-16:30 Lead Final Men
16:30 Awarding Ceremony