Maxim Tomilov and WoonSeon Shin win Ice Climbing World Championship 2015

In front of 1,000 spectators Russia’s Maxim Tomilov and South Korea’s HeeYong Park battled it out for first placed in what proved to be a highly technical final. Both athletes topped out but the Russian climbed 10 seconds faster than his rival to win his first ever world title. While Park took silver, bronze went to the former World Champion and, as it happens, the new champion’s brother, Alexey Tomilov.

"I am extremely happy with this result and the tiny gap between Park and myself proves how tough this competition was. Winning like this is worth twice as much" exclaimed the new World Champion Maxim Tomilov after the competition.

In the women’s event three three athletes stood out, with South Korea’s Woon Seon Shin managing to beat local South Tyrolean Angelika Rainer who, after three consecutive world titles, was forced to hand over the title to someone else. "During the last World Cup at Saas Fee I failed to qualify for the final and this really annoyed me" explained Shin "so I really wanted to redeem myself, I gave my best and managed to beat everyone."

Silver went to Angelika Rainer who didn’t despair after missing out on her fourth title "Competing in front of the home crowd is fantastic, special, but the pressure is enormous" analysed Rainer "I tried to climb as best possible, on the whole I did well but Shin proved stronger."

Third place went to Switzerland’s Petra Klingler. "I'm delighted with the result" explained the 23 year-old "I managed to qualify for the final and then did my best."

It is worth noting that all three managed to top out in the final and were therefore split on their times: 5:57 for Shin, 6:23 for Rainer and 7:20 for Klingler.

The other local climber, Barbara Zwerger from nearby Bolzano, finished a highly respectable seventh. "Qualifying for the final was falready a superb result" said the 42-year old "Perhaps I could have achieved a little more, but not too much. I’m happy."

FINAL RESULTS
Women
1 Shin WoonSeon KOR
2 Rainer Angelika ITA
3 Klingler Petra SUI
4 Badalyan Liudmila RUS
6 Kulikova Natalya RUS
5 Gallyamova Nadezhda RUS
7 Zwerger Barbara ITA
8 Petkova Radka BUL
9 Smirnova Nadezda RUS
10 van der Steen Marianne NED
11 Song HanNaRai KOR
12 Vlasova Ekaterina RUS
13 MYKHAILOVA OLGA UKR
13 Edler Mariia RUS
13 Kuznetsova Maria RUS
16 JARY Coralie FRA
17 Mc Swiggan Eimir IRL
18 Koshcheeva Ekaterina RUS
19 Wells Anna-Marie GBR
19 Kosek Olga POL
21 Lewis Rebecca CAN
22 JegliĊ Marija SLO
23 Stritch Kendra
24 Tsygankova Nadiia
25 Feoktistova Ekaterina
25 Kochebaeva Alena
25 Forrester Katy

Men
1 Tomilov Maxim RUS
2 Park HeeYong KOR
3 Tomilov Alexey RUS
4 Sypavin Valentyn UKR
5 Huser Kevin SUI
6 Glatthard Yannick
7 Dengin Alexey RUS
8 Terekhin Vasily RUS
9 Dobrinskiy Pavel RUS
10 Kwon YoungHye KOR
11 Kuzovlev Nikolai RUS
12 Kryvosheytsev Yevgen UKR0
13 Svoljšak Janez SLO
14 Novoseltsev Evgeniy RUS
15 Kutcher Nathan CAN
16 Kartashev Vladimir RUS
17 Vagin Alexey RUS
18 Holmes Harry GBR
19 Svingal Juraj SVK
20 Behlic Damir CRO
21 Tarasov Sergey RUS
21 Primerov Nikolay RUS
21 McArthur Gordon CAN
21 Petkov Mincho BUL
21 Garbolino-Bressa Octave FRA
26 Koller Ron
26 Gerome Yann
28 Clavien Samue
29 Brun Olivier FRA
29 Fine Pierrick FRA
29 van Hoek Dennis NED
32 Roman Kotliar UKR
33 Cecchini Antonin FRA
33 Yang MyungWook KOR
33 Sharman Alexander POL
33 Golub Vlad RUS
37 Lesko Jozef SVK
38 Woodhead Will GBR
38 Willis Justin USA
40 Beverly Marc USA
41 Dumas Mathis FRA
41 Rivadossi Matteo ITA
43 Musulin Mario CRO
43 Todorov Ilian BUL
43 Zvara Adrian SVK
46 Pidgen Matthew GBR
47 Grosdanoff Scott GBR
47 Zhelyazkov Stanimir BUL
47 Bowes Dave GBR
50 Hanson Ian USA