IFSC World Youth Championships, day one bouldering report

Pure energy. Palpable. That shines as bright as today’s sun. The start of the IFSC Youth World Championships in Arco gave a taste of what lies in store during this great sport climbing event. It is already, and will be ben more so in the upcoming days, a celebration of this sport. Which was kicked off this morning by the female boulder, split into three categories: Youth A, Youth B and Juniors. In total 183 athletes competed for the 20 Semifinal places up for grabs. 51 nations were represented. A superb melting pot of colours, smiles, of energy. Yes, the energy, concentration and technical ability of the girls, who travelled here from all over the world, won supreme. The entire Climbing Stadium was filled with their smiles, their desire to climb, to solve the boulder problems. reaching the top, understanding how to unravel and send the problem was their aim. Try, try, and try again to succeed was the mantra. For hours the vertical marathon continued in every corner of the “field”, with the aim of giving it their very best. It was difficult not to get involved. Impossible even to not be taken in by how the athletes were performing. By their technical ability, but also seriousness and stubbornness with which they interpreted this great game of bouldering, of climbing.

At the end of the long day it was time for the first results. In the “smallest” category – Youth B (under 16) – the young star Ashima Shiraishi shone brightly. The 14-year-old American is a true climbing phenomenon outdoors and in her first international competition she qualified for the semis with top marks (4 out of 4 tops in 9 attempts), meaning that she is provisional first. This was a great performance by an obvious talent that, as it happens, has been nominated for the Salewa Rock Award in this year’s Arco Rock Legends (the rock climbing Oscar) which will be announced on Friday 4 September, here at Arco of course

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