In front of a large, enthusiastic crowd in Innsbruck, Austria, 26 athletes competed in the women’s and men’s Lead qualifications for a chance to advance to the finals. The competition was fierce as each athlete battled for a spot in the top eight.
The women’s event featured a close battle between Janja Garnbret of Slovenia and Mori Ai of Japan, two athletes who have been dominating Lead competitions recently. Both athletes finished with a score of 48+, just a few moves away from the top of the route. Garnbret took first place due to her better placement in the qualification round, with Ai following closely behind in second place. Crowd favorite Jessica Pilz came in third with a score of 43+.
Annie Sanders of the USA earned her first trip to a Lead final round by making it into the top eight. Another Austrian athlete, Mattea Pötzi, also secured a spot in the finals, finishing eighth with a score of 34+. The Austrian home team’s strong performance was further demonstrated by Julia Fiser, who achieved her best career placement at ninth place with the same score as Pötzi, and 16-year-old Flora Oblasser, who made a stunning World Cup debut at tenth place with a score of 33+.
Oblasser expressed her excitement about the competition, stating, “The semi-final route was cool, and people were so loud. I always enjoy climbing in front of my home crowd, my family was down there somewhere. At one point I thought I could climb way higher, I just wanted to make the top and make the people go wild.” The support of the crowd helped push the athletes to achieve their best performances.
For the complete results of the women’s Lead semi-final, you can click here.