There was double first-time celebrations in Briançon as both Japan’s Anraku Sorato and Slovenia’s Vita Lukan claimed maiden IFSC Lead World Cup golds.
Anraku has been on fire all season, starting with Boulder where he took the 2023 series crown, and now in Lead when he was the only climber to top a finals route to not only secure his first win but also become the first climber from his nation to win a Boulder World Cup and a Lead World Cup gold.
Anraku said: “I’m surprised to win. I love doing both Boulder and Lead and I want to win more medals. I really want to win the World Championships as well. Koper World Cup. Wujiang World Cup. I practice a lot and I want to win them all.”
The young Japanese climber was joined in the final by six teammates, with only Sweden’s Hannes Puman breaking up the country’s finals domination. Having the odds in their favour for podium spots worked out for Team Japan with Anraku joined by silver medallist Homma Taisei and bronze medallist Yoshida Satone.
Both Homma and Yoshida reached hold 49+, and the bronze medal was Yoshida’s personal best finish.
Ogata Yoshiyuki also posted a personal best in fourth, as did Omata Shion in fifth. Higuchi Masahiro was sixth just ahead of the Swedish climber Puman in seventh. There was yet another Japanese personal best in the eighth spot, this time for Uemura Haruki.
Full men’s Lead results here
Slovenia’s Lukan has had a torrid time with injury in 2023 and a first ever World Cup gold will certainly help her mindset that she has overcome some serious injury problems.
Lukan said: “It’s amazing. I’m speechless. I did not expect it. I don’t know what happened. I just climbed and enjoyed the route, I fought hard, I give it my all and I’m really surprised. I’m just happy.
It was a really tough season. I injured my knee in January and then again in February and I didn’t climb from then until the middle of April. I had an ACL tear and a meniscus tear so I went through surgery where they removed half of the meniscus. The season has been tough for me, the victory is unexpected, but it means a lot to me.”
With Lukan’s win coming on hold 46, Eliska Adamovska of the Czech Republic had to settle for silver on hold 44+. It took a little time for the final climber of the event to realise, but the smile soon showed once the news was confirmed.
Manon Hily gave the Briançon crowd something to shout about by taking the bronze medal with hold 44+, only losing out on a higher podium step from semi-finals placings. The bronze was a personal best for the French athlete though.
Japan’s Kume Nonoha finished just off the podium in fourth with Molly Thompson-Smith following in fifth. France’s Camille Pouget finished sixth for a personal best, and Germany’s Martina Demmel also had a personal best finish with her seventh.
Tanii Natsuki was unfortunate as a slip low down on the wall put her in eighth position, never really getting a chance to show what she could do and the talent she has.
Full women’s Lead results here
Lukan and Anraku with their IFSC World Cup Briançon gold medals
Photo: Jan Virt/IFSC
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