World Championship ParaClimbing Speed 2011 in Arco

The first day of the ParaClimbing World Championship in Arco. An absolute novelty, seeing that this is the first ever event of its kind.

World Championship ParaClimbing Speed 2011A great point of arrival and, at the same time, an important starting point for sport peaks which can, or rather, must be reached. 33 athletes took part in the Championship representing 11 nations today; all with an incredible desire to return home with this first World Championship title.

The Speed title was up for grabs on the legendary Rock Master climbing wall which has marked the history of this sport. The location was the prestigious competition arena which, in all honesty, these athletes had earned the right to compete in, no one excluded. For the show which they put on. And for their competitive spirit. And, we'd like to add, for their passion and joy they displayed.

In the end we witnessed great athletes who, like all great sportsmen and women, managed to exploit everything they've got to the max. The crowd realised this immediately and pushed them on, one by one, cheer after cheer, towards the top.

Amongst those who amazed and astounded was the extremely strong Spaniard Urko Carmona Barandiaran and also the Italian athlete Silvia Parente and her teammates Matteo Stefani and Simone Salvagnin. All won the Speed World Championship in their respective categories. And we were also struck to see the extremely strong Italian Maurizio Marsigli battling it out, with the same fighting passion as so many years ago. The legendary “Gatto” of the Dolomites and further afield finished “only” 6th in his category. But he didn't seem at all unhappy. We're sure though that  he'll fight even harder in the next competition.

The next event, the Lead competition, takes place tomorrow at 15.00. A word of advice: come to the Climbing Stadium. You won't be disappointed. You too will cheer on the Paraclimbing athletes.

Each category of the Speed World Championship:

Amputee Arm Pd
Male: Mikhail Saparov RUS (Oro)
Female: Paula De La Calle Pizarro ESP (Oro)

Amputee Both Leg Pd
Male: Boyu Xia CHN (Oro)

Amputee Leg Pd
Male: Urko Carmona Barandiaran ESP (Oro), Günther Grausam GER (Argento), Oliviero Bellinzani ITA (Bronzo)

Arthritis + Neurological Pd
Male: András Szijártó HUN (Oro), Matteo Alberghini ITA (Argento), Philippe Ribière FRA (Bronzo)
Female: Valentyna Kurshakova UKR (Oro)

Visual Impairment B1
Male: Matteo Stefani ITA (Oro), Manuel Cepero Gutierrez ESP (Argento), Roman Kostakiov RUS (Bronzo)
Female: Silvia Parente ITA (Oro), Dilyara Rakhmanknlova RUS (Argento)

Visual Impairment B2

Male: Simone Salvagnin ITA (Oro)
Female: Tatiana Panova RUS (Oro)

Visual Impairment B3
Male: Domingo Carretero Campon ESP (Oro), Ricardo Pérez Amado ESP (Argento)

QuelleNicholas Hobley, Foto: Giulio Malfer