Bouldering World Championships 2014 kicks off in Munich
While all the world's best boulderers have already reached the enormous and beautiful Olympiastadion, one athlete in particular will be notable for her absence: Anna Stöhr. The undisputed queen of bouldering announced yesterday that she will not compete due to a niggling tendon injury and the loss of the two times Bouldering World Champion, reigning European Champion and four times winner of the Bouldering World Cup is immense, not only for the Austrian Team which she will nevertheless represent.
Numerous athletes will attempt to capitalise on Stöhr's absence, including the above mentioned Noguchi and Coxsey, as well as Juliane Wurm competing in front of her home crowd, and America's Alex Puccio who even skipped the last two World Cups to tank up on the energy needed for this competition. Other strong contenders to look out for are Japan's Miho Nonaka and France's Marine Thévenet and defending World Champion Mélanie Sandoz.
In the men's event Dmitrii Sharafutdinov and Jan Hojer will have to watch out for Austria's Kilian Fischhuber, gunning for the only title missing from his immense curriculum in what is bound to be his last World Championship appearance, while other favorites include Rustam Gelmanov, France's Guillaume Glairon Mondet, Canada's Sean McColl and of course Adam Ondra from the Czech Republic. It has to be said though that the difference between the athletes is minimal and bouldering such a fickle, unpredictable sport that the main priority for all athletes is to make it to the final. At which point it's anyone's game!
Provisional program (GMT+2)
Thursday, August 21
10h00–16h00 Boulder qualification for men
Friday, August 22
14h00–19h00 Boulder qualification for women
20h00–22h00 Climbing Movie Night at the Olympic Lake Cinema
Saturday, August 23
11h00–13h30 Boulder semi-final for men & women (live streaming)
18h30–21h00 Boulder final for men & women (live streaming)
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