Krivosheitsev and Papert win Ice Climbing World Championship

Krivosheitsev and Papert win the first Ice Climbing World Championship in Pitztal

January 2002

Evgeny Krivosheitsev and Ines Papert won the first ever Ice Climbing World Championship in Pitztal last weekend. It turned out to be a Championship full of surprises, for some of the strong title favourites failed to qualify even through the Open, which saw a staggering 27 tops! Qualification had therefore to be based on time, eliminating the likes of Daniel Dulac, Mauro 'Bubu' Bole and Erik Svab in the Open, and Dimitri Bytchkov and Stephane Husson in the Semi-Final. To name just a few.

But all doubts were brushed aside in the men’s final when Evgeny Krivosheitsev climbed powered through the difficult drytooling section to easily reach the top. Husson dynoed to the hanging drip but left his axe planted on the hold and, after a struggle to reach it, had to settle for second place ahead of Thomas Steinbrugger. The Austrian pumped out just below Hussan’s highpoint on his second attempt after a hold spun earlier on in the day.

Unlike the men’s Semi-final, the women’s Semi-Final proved difficult and no one topped out. Ines Papert, Kirsten Buchmann, Sandra Wielebnowski and Anna Torretta all reached the same highoint and qualified for the Final, together with Margarita Kolodkina, Abby Watkins, Liv Sansoz and Mi-sun Go.

It was to be Ines Papert’s day: only she topped out, coolly demonstrating the superiority that earned her the IWC in 2001. Anna Torretta, recently crowned Italian Champion, placed second ahead of Abby Watkins from Australia.

The first Ice Climbing World Championship thereby comes to a close and all eyes now shift to the Valle di Daone, scene of this weekend’s second stage of the IWC 2002.

Final results men
1	Evgeny Krivosheitsev	Ukraine	Top
2	Stephane Husson	France	9,2
3	Thomas Steinbrugger	Austria	8,1
4	Dimitri Bytchkov	Russia	5,1
5	Simon Anthamatten	Switzerland	2,1
6	Vince Anderson	USA	0,5
7	Markus Bendler	Austria	0,4
8	Hans Lochner	Germany	0,1

Final results women
1	Ines Papert	Germany	Top
2	Anna Torretta	Italia	4,2
3	Abby Watkins	Australia	4,2
4	Go Mi-sun	Korea	4,2
5	Kirsten Buchmann	Germany	4,1
6	Sandra Wielebnowski	Austria	4
7	Margarita Kolodkina	Russia	4
8	Liv Sansoz	France	4