Aleksandra Miroslaw, Bassa Mawem qualify for Speed Climbing at Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Rome's Foro Italico hosted the IFSC Speed European Qualifier, the first of five Continental Qualifiers in the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the two who secured quota spots were Aleksandra Miroslaw from Poland and Bassa Mawem from France. Competing in a nerve-biting final, both managed to secure the ticket for their second consecutive Olympic participation after Tokyo 2020. The Japanese games - which combined Speed, Boulder and Lead - saw Miroslaw place 4th, while Mawem placed 8th after rupturing his left bicep in the first round of the Lead competition.

WOMEN
Entering the women’s final round as the clear favourite – following the new world record she set in the qualification round – Miroslaw managed the pressure brilliantly, climbing faster race after race and eventually claiming first place with a 6.36 seconds-climb in the gold medal race.

"It was like magic. In the world they say that every road leads to Rome, now my road to Paris starts in Rome! I am really happy to be here, to be part of this event. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed an event this much. I finally found a really good mindset, I’m really proud of myself, I’m emotionally and physically exhausted, but it was worth it," said Miroslaw moments after the flower ceremony.

The 29-year-old specialist led an all-Polish podium that also featured Aleksandra Kalucka, second, and her sister Natalia, third. France’s Capucine Viglione lost the bronze medal race and concluded in fourth position.

MEN
38-year-old Bassa Mawem was the oldest competitor in the men’s event, and the only one, along with Italy’s Ludovico Fossali, who previously competed at Tokyo 2020.

Same as Miroslaw, Mawem also improved his climbing time race after race, taking advantage of a false start in his quart-final, and matching his personal best in the semi-final battle with Ukraine’s Hryhorii Ilchyshyn – 5.30 against his rival’s 5.39 – then prevailing over Polish experienced climber Marcin Dzienski with a stunning 5.28.

"I’m very happy, I knew I had two chances to qualify for the Olympics. I’ve always wanted to end my career at the best event in the world, and now I can. It was very hard to end my competition in Tokyo with an injury, now I just want to focus on being at my very best next year, in Paris," said Mawem.

Dzienski, who previously had to re-run his semi-final against Germany’s Leander Carmanns because of a perfect 5.368 second tie between the two, placed second; Ilchyshyn won bronze, while Carmanns finished just outside the podium.

The next continental qualification event will be the Pan American Games Santiago 2023, followed by the IFSC European Qualifier in Laval, France. Events in Jakarta, Indonesia; Melbourne, Australia; and Pretoria, South Africa will also take place before the end of 2023.

WOMEN
1 Aleksandra Miroslaw POL 6.36
2 Aleksandra Kalucka POL 7.41
3 Natalia Kalucka POL 7.26
4 Capucine Viglione FRA fall
5 Beatrice Colli ITA 7.14 (7.07)
6 Carla Martínez Vidal ESP fall (7.12)
7 Leslie Adriana Romero Pérez ESP 7.32 (7.27)
8 Lison Gautron FRA fall (7.35)
9 Victoire Andrier FRA
10 Manon Lebon FRA
11 Patrycja Chudziak POL
12 Oksana Burova UKR
13 Alina Shchyharieva UKR
14 Giulia Randi ITA

MEN
1 Bassa Mawem FRA 5.28
2 Marcin Dzienski POL 5.34
3 Hryhorii Ilchyshyn UKR 5.31
4 Leander Carmanns GER 5.33
5 Ludovico Fossali ITA 7.10 (5.35)
6 Luca Robbiati ITA 5.65 (5.40)
7 Yaroslav Tkach UKR false start (5.42)
8 Erik Noya Cardona ESP false start (5.48)
9 Pierre Rebreyend FRA 5.41 (5.26)
10 Gian Luca Zodda ITA 5.489 (5.44)
11 Guillaume Moro FRA 5.51 (5.45)
12 Kostiantyn Pavlenko UKR 11.03 (5.60)
13 Marceau Garnier FRA 6.16 (5.64)
14 Sebastian Lucke GER 5.64
15 Rafe Stokes GBR 5.92 (5.70)
16 Oskar Szalecki POL fall (5.75)
17 Lawrence Bogeschdorfer AUT
18 Linus Bader GER
19 Alessandro Boulos ITA
20 Jan Kriz CZE
21 Kevin Amon AUT
22 Matthew Fall GBR
23 Hubert Przytula POL
24 Tarim Mehmet ali̇ TUR
25 ti̇mur Taş TUR
26 Danyil Boldyrev UKR
26 Lukas Knapp AUT
26 Tobias Plangger AUT