Fossali and Kalucka Triumph at 2024 IFSC European Championships: Speed Climbing
2024 IFSC European Championships: Speed Climbing
On August 29th, European’s best speed climbers came together to compete at the 2024 IFSC European Championships in speed climbing. The beautiful village of Villars in Switzerland hosted this years event with thousands of people coming out to cheer on these amazing athletes
With intense competition and razor-thin margins, the event culminated in a thrilling display of speed, precision, and athleticism. Let’s take a look at who took to the podium at the 2024 European Championships down below.
Men’s Speed Climbing
The men’s speed final was delayed due to two reported technical incidents. The first came from a complaint about Lane A’s auto belay, which, after thorough investigation, the officials decided to replace the auto belay. The second complaint was that one of the boulders was slightly in the wrong position. After the staff resolved both incidents, the men’s speed climbing restarted with a few competitors having to race again.
The last race of the evening was between Italy’s Ludovico Fossali and his teammate Matteo Zurloni. Both started off in great form, but early on in the route Zurloni slipped causing him to fall behind Fossali. In a moment of disbelief and excitement, Fossali became the 2024 European Champion with a time of 5.74s to Zurloni’s 6.49s.
Joining Fossali and Zurloni on the podium at the 2024 IFSC European Championships was Spain’s Erik Noya Cardona. He was awarded the bronze medal after recieving the wildcard due to German’s Sebastian Lucke having a false start.
Women’s Speed Climbing
The 2021 World Champion in speed climbing and one of the favorites entering the competition, Poland’s Natalia Kalucka took home the title of 2024 European Champion. Kalucka consistently produce smooth runs throughout the competition. The final, against Poland’s Patrycja Chudziak, was no exception as she raced up the wall in spectacular fashion in 6.98s.
Chudziak took home the silver medal for the evening after a disappointing fall in the big final, allowing Kalucka to secure the gold.
“This place is my favorite run because I can share this run with my teammates and I think I was focus on my technique and you know I did win and I’m happy for that.”
-Natalia Kalucka, IFSC Interview
Joining Kalucka and Chudziak on the podium at the 2024 European Championships was Italy’s Giulia Randi after her teammate Beatrice Colli fell early in the run. The small final was a slippery one for both climbers as Randi also had a small slip later on in the run, but was still able to hold on and finish with a time of 8.60s.
Why Are Some European Climbers Missing?
Although the 2024 IFSC European Championships includes quite a few 2024 Olympic competitiors, such as Sam Avezou, Molly Thompson-Smith, Oriane Bertone, and Erin McNiece. Some professional climbers from Europe have decided to not join the 2024 IFSC European Championships and instead opt to take a break during this time after attending the Olympic Games.
There are also some European professional climbers, who did not attend the Olympics, are still missing from this event. This can be due to team quotas and/or personal reasons.
One of the most notable names that has been missing is Germany’s Hannah Meul. She had participated during the women’s boulder event, but during the qualifications she sustained an injury that has disqualified her from participating any further in the 2024 IFSC European Championships.
Follow Us for Upcoming Events
For more information pertaining to the 2024 IFSC European Championships Speed Climbing results, location, videos, images, etc., please visit the main event page. This event is also featuring other sport climbing disciplines: lead climbing, bouldering, and combined. The next event will the 2024 Climbing World Cup Koper event on September 6th. Please check out the event page for further details about this event.
