Final male youth A Lead
For the penultimate World Championship title the sky above Arco looked gloomy once again. The time had come for the male Youth A – Under 18 category. The audience, enchanted, was on special occasion form. On Rock Master form. And even the route, that ascended the arete up the large overhanging tower on the left, seemed to be set for the occasion. And superb rocket-like route that had (as was immediately apparent) a mid-height filter up the tinniest of holds on the huge round red volume. Fingers of steel and total control were needed. Proof of this came from the first 4 pretenders to the throne that all dropped off at this point. Korea’s Minyoung Lee fell while moving towards the red volume. Italy’s Stefano Carnati fared better, climbed 2 holds higher. Much better as it soon turned out, as Russia’s Vladislav Shevchenko and Japan’s Taito Nakagami fell off the same point, a hold below Lee. America’s Kai Lightner surprisingly fell a hair’s breadth from Shevchenko. So, with only three athletes remaining, Stefano Carnati was provisional first and, at worst, fourth . One thing was certain: the route was hard as nails. Further confirmation came immediately, from Japan’s Yoshiyuki Ogata who took a low tumble, around Lightner’s highpoint. France’s Hugo Parmentier was next out. The penultimate athlete, hence second in the semis, climbed well, fought hard and then there on that terrible red volume he fell, a whisker from the Italian. Carnati, incredibly, was still in the lead, had secured himself silver at least. Now Sascha Lehmann, the leader of the Semis, tied in below the wall. He climbed quickly, one hold after the next, launched up onto the red volume, poised to tackle the upper section. Every hold seemed a “sufferfest”, yet the Swissman matched Carnati’s highpoint, even managed to climb one hold higher still, and then fell. Thanks to that little hold Sascha Lehmann was crowned Youth A Lead World Champion. Stefano Carnati with his splendid comeback from 7th place in the semis won silver – the 10th medal for Italy. While France’s Hugo Parmentier, separated by the smallest of margins, won bronze. Fourth place, just one hold lower, went to Korea’s Minyoung Lee, ahead of Minyoung Le (Kor), Taito Nakagami (Jpn), Vladislav Shevchenko (Rus), Yoshiyuki Ogata (Jpn) and Kai Lightner (Usa). All, from the first to the last, were “compressed” into the space of just 4 holds. Talk about photo-finish!
by Vinicio Stefanello / Planetmountain.com
IFSC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015
– Gallery 2015
– Video 2015
– Results 2015
