In a Bouldering final hard to beat on tension last year’s Overall Bouldering World Cup winner Anna Stöhr and reigning Lead world champion Jakob Schubert celebrated an Austrian happy ending in front of their home crowd at the Sports Park Kitzbühel yesterday.
The third competition stop in 2013 turned out to be an event with quite a lot of “first times”: At the first IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Kitzbühel Austria’s Jakob Schubert celebrated his first victory of the season and at the same time his first one in front of a home crowd while teammate Anna Stöhr gained her first World Cup hat-trick after her victories in Chongqing (CHN) and Millau (FRA)!
Month: April 2013
Norwegian climber Magnus Midtbø has joined the very small number of climbers who have onsighted 5.14c with an ascent of Cosi Fan Tutte in Rodellar, Spain.
For the last month and a half, Midtbø has been in Santa Linya, Spain, working on Neanderthal (possibly 5.15b), a route put up in 2009 by Chris Sharma. It starts with a 5.13b section to a no-hands rest, followed by sustained climbing to a dyno, and then more hard climbing to the top of the cave. Working Neanderthal has proven to require much patience on Midtbø’s part, as it’s been consistently wet throughout his visit.On his “rest” days he’s made ascents of other hard routes, including Ciudad de Dios (5.14d) in the cave, and Terrence Hill (5.14a, onsight) in Margalef. On the last day of his trip, he ventured to the Piscineta sector of Rodellar with his mind set on onsighting routes, in particular the 180-foot Cosi Fan Tutte, which Midtbø opines is the best line on the wall.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is “a very hot favourite” to retain his world title, according to former world champion and practice partner Peter Ebdon. O’Sullivan has not played competitively since winning at the Crucible last May but Ebdon says the four-time world champion is in better form than ever. “If anybody thinks he’s not going to be ready for Sheffield, they are really badly mistaken and he’s playing at an unbelievable level and, if anything, he’s improved.”
After a year’s sabbatical from snooker, Ronnie O’Sullivan is back to defend his world title at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on Saturday.
The four-time world champion, 37, spoke to Rob Walker for a BBC Radio 5 live special on Thursday. Below is a selection of the best bits, including why he quit, why he is back and his chances of winning a fifth world title.
Ramón Julián Puigblanque has had a busy month: In the span of two weeks, the Spaniard established four high end routes, including one 9a. On March 10, Ramón Julián focused his energy on a project in Moià called AnanFlutan, for which he proposed 8c+/9a after completion. Two weeks later, he headed to the Cueva Negra in Montanejos to attempt another project: La Parada de los Monstruos. The climb was too wet on his first visit, so he returned the next day to clinch the first ascent, suggesting 9a for this 150-foot route. He tried two other routes in the Pilas Alcalinas area, Exotica (8c+) and El Maquinista (9a?), but both had wet cruxes that deterred more attempts.
The second stage of the Bouldering World Cup 2013 was won on Saturday 6 April at Millau in France by the Austrians Kilian Fischhuber and Anna Stöhr. Absolute domination. 15 World Cup stage victories for her. 19 for him. Which equate to 3 overall World Cups for her and 5 for him. We’re obvioulsy talking about Anna Stöhr and Kilian Fischhuber, the talented Austrian duo who last Saturday won the second stage of the 2013 Bouldering World Cup at France’s Millau.
Former world champion Neil Robertson captured his first title of the season with a 10-6 win over new world number one Mark Selby in the China Open final.
The Australian left-hander, who won the world title in 2010, had lost three other finals this season, including the Masters to Selby, and two semi-finals.
But he built a 6-1 advantage at the interval before Selby claimed the next three frames after the resumption.