Foundry BICC Results

With most crags in the country closed, and weather that dealt with the rest, the Foundry found itself packed with spectators and competitors for the penultimate round in the 2001 Troll British Indoor Climbing Championships. The qualifiers did their usual job of eliminating all but the fittest, and the line-up for the finals was a familliar selection of old faces, with notable evidence of the relentless campaign for dominance by the now-senior ´juniors´ who are rapidly making seniors feel a little uncertain.

The Junior women´s final had the obvious surprise, Jemma didn´t win. It was Sadie Renwick who applied herself to take first place, demonstrating the positive effect of the international experience she has been gaining recently through the British Team. Curiously not on the British team this year, Lucy Creamer put in a predictably brilliant performace in to take first place, although not quite topping out on the final, old-timer Anne Arran showed us all that despite lots of hard work at the BMC she still has the energy to make the podium. Abigail Egan also put in an excellent performace, and was only half a point on countback from equalling Anne.

The Junior boys had the route-setters worried, the first finalist nearly topped out on the route, but it all worked out in the end and it was Paul Smitton who topped out to show who was boss.

The senior men´s final had a predictably desperate looking route that caught the current leader Gareth Parry off-guard, and rewarded a determined effort by new-comer Kristian Clemmow. The new-seniors filled the finalist list, but it was ultiamtely between stick-man Chris Cubitt and the current champion Steve McClure. Unfortunately Steve injured his arm on the qualifier, but still put in an excellent performance in getting to the last moves. However, this was not enough as Chris used his trademark endurance to great effect, even stopping to wave at the croud on his way to the chain, and first place.

Current leaders in italics