Bendler and Maureau win Saas Fee stage of Ice Climbing World Cup 2010

After Kirov in Russia and Daone in Italy, the Ice Climbing World Cup 2010 moved west to Switzerland's Saas Fee last weekend for the crucial third stage. As usual, the world's coldest carpark hosted the event and the men's event was was was won, unsurprisingly, by Markus Bendler from Austria, who this season is proving more unbeatable than ever before.

Three straight wins are a clear demonstration of the reigning World Champion's supremacy, but nevertheless he still had to fight hard to come up trumps: he topped out in the semi-final along with Maxim Tomilov from Russia, Yong Park Hee from Korea and Patrik Aufdenblatten from Switzerland, meaning that all four stood good chances of victory. But in the Final, when things really counted, he pulled out all the stops and managed to beat his historic rival Tomilov by one hold: just enough for victory and a perfect way to present himself at the starting blocks in Busteni at the start of February.

In the women's event veteran competition climber Stéphanie Maureau produced the only top in the final to finally clinch that yearned-for victory she had courted with so often in the past. After placing second in Daone last weekend, the Frenchwoman beat Wha Jeong Woon from Korea (who like her had topped out in the Semis) and Radka Petkova from Bulgaria (3rd). Importantly, her two strongest rivals in the form of Chloe Graftiaux from Belgium (winner in Daone) and Angelika Rainer (winner in Kirov) slipped to 7th and 11th respectively, meaning that race for overall victory is still wide open.

Unsurprisingly the Speed event was dominated by a supreme Russian field and was won by Maryam Filippova and Pavel Gulyaev.

Ice Climbing World Cup Saas Fee - January 22 - 23, 2010
Women's Lead
1. Stephanie Maureau, France
2.Jeong Woon Wha, Republic of Korea
3.Radka Petkova, Bulgaria

Men's Lead
1. Markus Bendler, Austria
2. Maxim Tomilov, Russia
3. Hee Yong Park, Republic of Korea

Women's Speed
1. Maryam Filippova, Russia
2. Nadezda Shubina, Russia
3. Natalia Kulikova, Russia

Men's Speed
1. Pavel Gulyaev, Russia
2. Pavel Batushev, Russia
3. Igor Fayzullin, Russia