IFSC Boulder World Cup, Baku

So what can I say? Long story short my first experience competing in the Senior Boulder World Cup was amazing. But for very different reasons than I would have thought...

I expected to go out, compete on the best problems I'd ever had the pleasure of climbing, get burnt off by those problems, come in a pretty poor position, meet all the top climbers and suddenly become my awkward shy self and barely say a word. But none of that was the case.
If I'm brutally honest they weren't the best problems I've ever competed on, that's not just because I couldn't top anything or made little mistakes. They where just plain average as far as I was concerned. That doesn't mean I didn't have fun climbing them, I had a great time. They just didn't quite have that "wow" factor I've dreamed of since I was 11 years old.

Problem 1 - Fighting past the bonus
Photo - Eddie Fowke

As far as my climbing was concerned I don't believe I could have climbed much better, sure I made one or two mistakes but it is hard to be perfect all the time, if I was perfect all the time I imagine I'd have the potential to be up there in the finals. Sure it helps being ridiculously strong like those guys but a huge factor on their results is they can be perfect on that wall. And one day I hope to equal that perfection.

The first problem was an interesting climb up a slight overhang then onto a small slab revolving around pressing off an undercut crimp above your head and standing up on a poor volume. I managed to get the bonus 2nd go after being painfully close my first attempt, but unfortunately did not have the power in my fingers to pull off the undercut crimp, instead trying to use it as a poor slopey gaston.

Problem 2 - Almost looks like I held it!
Photo - Eddie Fowke

Problem two I was pretty awkward and I couldn't get the right body position to launch myself into the awkward dyno round a corner. So sadly I've not much else to say about this!

Problem 3 - Shouldering "try hard" face
Photo - Eddie Fowke

I had a lot of issues with problem 3, yet it was one I was probably most successful with! Mostly I struggled to step off the floor onto the awkward volume, but on the 2 or 3 times I got up I did fairly decent managing to push through the powerful shoulder moves up to the bonus but dropping off trying to press out to the finish.

Problem 4 - Going for the Dyno
Photo- Eddie Fowke

Problem 4 - Sticking the Dyno
Photo- Eddie Fowke

Problem 4, another dyno! This one was more straight forward, a big jump to a volume which you needed to guppie to control the swing. After a couple attempts I was consistently catching it but could progress no further off the poor volumes. A good fun problem, but two dynos out of 5 problems didn't seem like very imaginative setting.

Finally was problem 5. Which honestly I couldn't really figure out, I had a vague idea of where to go, but no clue how I could! I fought my way onto the start only to immediately get shut down trying to so much as move after a few attempts I found a way to progress further than the start holds, only to not be strong enough to move any further! It seemed an interesting problem, I'd have enjoyed more time to play around with it but alas this is a competition... And my time is up!

Problem 5 - Excitement at doing the first move!
Photo - Eddie Fowke

So all in all I wouldn't say I got burnt off by the problems, I honestly think given more time I could have gotten at least two tops. But in competition you are not blessed with the gift of time. You have your five minutes and if that's not enough, well tough. I finished with 3 Bonus points placing me into 22nd place! Which just goes to show how tough those problems where, if without a single top I can be so close to making semi finals. I achieved a far better result than I could have ever dreamed and that has given me the motivation I needed to progress further in my life as a climber.

One of the best parts of coming to this event was getting to meet so many different people from all around the world. I have made many new friends during this experience and that means so much more than placing a number on me and saying I'm this good. Getting to meet the likes of James Kassay and Jan Hojer, climbers I've looked up to for quite a long time and realising that although they are some of the best climbers in the world they are just people, living their life and exploring their passion like myself. I'm happy to say they and all the others I have met over this weekend where some of the kindest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and I couldn't be more grateful to them for making the experience that much more special for me.

As for the others representing Team GB we had Shauna Coxsey, Mina Leslie-Wujastyk and Jennifer Wood. What an eventful World Cup it was for those girls! Jen Placing a very respectable 27th in her first event as well had to deal with a very bloody flapper during her 2nd boulder, hindering her for the rest! Props for battling it out Jen! Mina cutting it oh so fine making the Semi Finals in joint 19th then managing to pull it out of the bag coming an amazing 14th! And finally Shauna, what a traumatic event! Those who watched the live stream and have read all the other reports will know just how close she was to achieving her first ever Gold Medal. All it took was a mere dab of the mat by the very tip of her shoe to snatch it right out of her finger tips and place her into 3rd place. I have respected Shauna for a long time being such an outstanding competition climber but seeing how she dealt with the aftermath of losing out on Gold has made me realise why she is one of the greatest climbers in the world. As painful as it must have been she was able to hold herself together and manage to smile, do an interview and happily stand on the podium when we all know she deserved that Medal. (Apologies Shauna for going on about that, I found it very inspiring to witness!)

So a big well done to my Team Mates! And thanks Mina and Shauna for making it an event to always remember.

Finals Results

1 – Anna Stohr, Dmitrii Sharafutdinov
2 – Akiyo Noguchi, Jan Hojer
3 – Shauna Coxsey, Rustam Gelmanov
4 – Jule Wurm, Killian Fischhuber
5 – Mina Markovic, Jeremy Bonder
6 – Alex Puccio, Kokoro Fujii.

What an event! It got me psyched for the future. Perhaps too psyched if that is possible? Because it seems to be that I have been talked into attending another World Cup this year! In fact it is just over a week away. So next Thursday I will be leaving yet again to compete on the world stage and live my dream.

So if there is anything I have learnt from this experience it is this - You never know what can happen tomorrow. So live your life today.

Also if you are feeling generous, why not go buy The Circuit World Cup And Performance Magazine? It funds Eddie who took these wonderful photos to travel and report on all the world cups.

And while you're at it, maybe go donate to Climbers Against Cancer!

Thanks again to Beyond Hope for supporting me with amazing kit, just today I went out and sent a real cool problem called Squishy Squashy V10 at Forest Rock in some new stuff I had just got!