WC in sport climbing (bouldering), women's final, June 4, 2023, Prague. From left, Slovenian competitor Janja Garnbretová, French competitor Oriane Bertoneová, French competitor Flavy Cohautová on the winners' podium.
Prague – Oriane Bertone surprisingly won the Bouldering World Cup in Prague. The only eighteen-year-old Frenchwoman also defeated the Slovenian star Janja Garnbretová in the final. Both climbed three of the four final routes, but the French climber took fewer attempts to do so. The bronze medal was won by Flavy Cohautová, another representative of the country of the Gallic rooster, who was the only one of the others to record two tops.
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Photo gallery: SP in bouldering in Prague
Olympic champion and six-time world champion Garnbret started in Prague for the first time in the current edition of the World Cup because she was treating an injured big toe. In Friday's qualification and in today's semi-final, she was superb and climbed all nine routes, but she hesitated in the final. She failed on the second boulder, and on the third she turned it into a way to the top only on the third attempt, which was decisive for the overall result.
Although Bertone advanced to the finals only from the last sixth place, she did extremely well after that. She conquered the opening boulder on the second attempt, the next two on the first attempt. When she got into the zone on the final boulder, she had a certain triumph and could hardly hide her emotions. Garnbretová could not deprive her of the gold even with another flush, i.e. by immediately overcoming the boulder. The twenty-four-year-old Slovenian icon of climbing sport was able to do that and confirmed her silver position.
The French woman Bertone, who was third at the European Championship last year, rejoiced at her first triumph in the World Cup. She was able to share her joy with her 22-year-old compatriot Cohautová, who celebrated bronze.
The Czech representatives did not appear in today's program, all five were eliminated in Friday's qualification.
SP in sport climbing in Prague:
Women:
Bouldering: 1. Bertone (Fr.), 2. Garnbret (Slovenia), 3. Cohaut (Fr.).
Current order of the SP: 1. Bertone 2649.5, 2. Raboutou (USA) 2380, 3. Nonaka (Japan) 2315.
