European Championships: Day 7 Women’s Boulder and Lead Combined
- Thursday 18th August 2022
Janja Garnbret wins her third gold medal of the European Championships with an almost perfect score in the new format Boulder and Lead Combined Final.
New Boulder and Lead Format
The top eight scoring female climbers from the individual Boulder and Lead Championships at Munich over the weekend competed in a new Combined format event on Day 7 of the European Championships. It was the first-ever international competition organised in the new Boulder and Lead format (dubbed B&L…) following a trial event earlier in the year held at the Chris Sharma climbing gym in Barcelona. The new format will also be used in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Format and Scoring
Under the new format, the competitors do a boulder round first that comprises four boulders, each of which is attempted in a four-minute window following an inspection period. For much of the boulder round, and to speed up the process, two competitors are on the mats at the same time attempting adjacent problems. A new scoring system is also used under which the competitors can score a maximum of 25 points per boulder. There are now two – rather than one – zone holds per problem; the first zone is worth 3 points and the second zone is worth 6 points. Competitors who top the boulder will have 0.1 points deducted from the total score of 25 for each unsuccessful attempt. A climber flashing a problem will score 25 points therefore; those topping a problem on their second attempt will score 24.9 points etc. Those not topping but securing zones will get 3 or 6 points depending on whether they reach the first or second zone. The maximum number of points therefore for a ‘perfect’ clean round will be 100 points.
The competitors will then attempt a single lead route scoring the maximum 100 points if they top out. Competitors who don’t top out will score points depending on which hold they secure. However, only the top 30 holds are worth points. The top 15 holds of each route are worth 5 points each. The next 10 holds down are worth 2 points each and the next 5 holds down are worth 1 point each. Any competitor falling below that will score no points.
The points from the two rounds are simply added together. Any climber flashing all four boulders and topping the lead route will get the maximum score of 200 points.
Combined: Boulder Round
Having won the individual Boulder Championship Janja Garnbret was always going to be the favourite to top the field in this segment. Six of the seven finalists before Garnbret took to the mats had flashed W1; although it seemed an ‘easy’ bloc mistakes do happen and nothing could be taken for granted. That Garnbret climbed in total control easily flashing W1 – a longish route-style problem – despite all the pressure she was under was perhaps a very early indication that she was clocking on with the intention of taking her third gold of the championships.
W2 – a long complex and more powerful bloc – was more testing. Kazbekova, Krampl and Caulier all flashed W2 – and of course, Garnbret who not only flashed it but looked very comfortable doing so, much more so than the others.
The setters turned up the difficulty for W3, a long, overhanging and powerful bloc. Also, W3 was so long and involved that competitors were struggling to have more than one meaningful attempt on it in their allotted four minutes; those that got high onto the finishing moves on their first attempt were so drained that they were really rushed having a second attempt. W3 brought out the foot-less campus moves and figure-four moves in abundance but all seven finalists prior to Garnbret failed to top. Garnbret was however at her very best on W3 unleashing a level of strength, power and coordination that was simply in another class to that of the other finalists; she alone topped out flashing it for good measure and keeping her hopes of a ‘perfect’ score hope.
W4, described by co-commentator Molly Thompson-Smith as “the ABC of combination problems”, featured at least three – some finalists did more – double combination moves where both hands/arms and or legs had to be moved simultaneously. Unlike the other problems, however, W4 was quicker to execute and hence competitors could have multiple quick-fire attempts. Kazbekova, Krampl, Pilz and Meul all topped out on their second attempt so the pressure was on Garnbret to do likewise. However, just when a perfect 100 score seems within her grasp Garnbret dropped her flash attempt and to make matters worse landed very heavily on her back which she clasped immediately. Fortunately, Garnbret seemed uninjured in the fall and dusted herself off and launched once again into the sea of combo jumps. This time she was noticeable much higher on the first combo and once through that move easily topped out. Garnbret’s almost perfect score of 99.9 was significantly higher than that of Krampl (80.9), Muel (80.9), Pilz (80.6) or Kazbekova (80.6) giving her a considerable buffer ahead of the Lead route.
Combined: Lead Round
Having had very little more than 30 minutes or so rest the finalists moved onto the Lead element of the new B&L Combined. Once again another long overhanging route awaited them; again a jump at around 1/3rd height had been included – in this case just prior to the start of the scoring holds.
This being a Combined event competitors climb in the reverse order of their Combined score so whilst second-out Mia Krampl topped out the route easily it was important to remember that she's a lead specialist rather than to think that the setters had under-cooked the route! Nevertheless, Krampl climbed superbly well topping out with 1:47secs remaining on the clock. Krampl’s combined score means that she was guaranteed a medal and that only Garnbret could beat her. Adamovska also climbed very well and got high on the route but fell with 90 points to be added to her score. Jessica Pilz climbed, as so often she does, with precision and efficiency and also topped out gaining 100 points for her scorecard. Meul made it through to the start of the headwall but was seemingly so pumped that she opted to skip the last quickdraw and add a couple more moves before falling with a score of 85 points.
At this stage Krampl led with 180.9 points, Jessica Pilz was in second place with 180.6 points and Hannah Meul had 165.9 points. From her position in isolation, Garnbret would have known from the crowd’s cheers that some had already topped the route so when she emerged to climb last it was her win to lose. Physically it seemed very likely that Garnbret wouldn’t be troubled by the route; mentally however she had to stay sharp and focused. Once again however Garnbret delivered a masterclass in climbing with deliberate yet fluid movement throughout. In the end, it looked like a very comfortable climb for Garnbret. Topping out she added another 100 points to her score to finish on 199.9; as close to perfection as possible and easy enough for her to win the first-ever new B&L Combined and collect her third gold of the European Championships.
“Being three-times European champion sounds good, but it feels even better,” Garnbret said afterwards.
