Chamonix: Schubert, Ciavaldini, Eiter, Markovic, Kim

Four joint-equals in the World Cup Lead! This has never happened before, at least, not as far as we can remember. This season's first stage was won by an extremely powerful Jakob Schubert from Austria and, somewhat surprisingly, by Caroline Ciavaldini from France, Angela Eiter from Austria, Mina Markovic from Slovenia and Jain Kim from Korea.

As Mont Blanc lay majestically in the background, the men's comp was obviously set perfectly with athletes reaching different highpoints, Ramonette just missing out on the top and then the single victorious top by Schubert, the last athlete out. The 20-year-old from Innsbruck fully deserved this win and it comes in the wake of his second place in the first stage of the Bouldering World Cup in Milan in April. It is worth noting that one of the hot favourites, Adam Ondra, failed to qualify for the final and this speaks volumes about how competitive the men's field has become.

In the women's event four athletes managed to stick the final sloper - Eiter invented an extraordinary move to manage to clip the chain - and seeing the number of tops in the semifinal and the decision not to separate them as usual with a superfinal, the four strongest women in the world all shared the same podium.

The first stage of the Speed World Cup 2011 was won by Sergey Abdrakhmanov from Russia and Edyta Ropek from Poland, ahead of Alina Gaydamakina and Libor Hroza.

All athletes are currently on their way to Italy for the World Championship in Arco, which begins tomorrow with the men's Boulder qualification. The Planetmountain team of editors is also on its way to the world's sport climbing capital to follow the event and update the official www.arco2011.it website. We'll see you at the Climbing Stadium in Arco...


Chamonix - Lead World Cup 2011
1. Schubert Jakob 1990 AUT Top
2. Julian Puigblanque Ramón 1981 ESP 46
3. Midtboe Magnus 1988 NOR -42
4. Amma Sachi 1989 JPN 41 
5. Lachat Cédric 1984 SUI -40
6. Desgranges Romain 1982 FRA -38
7. Romain Manuel 1988 FRA -38
8. Kryukov Valeriy 1986 UKR 33 

1. Ciavaldini Caroline 1985 FRA Top
1. Eiter Angela 1986 AUT Top
1. Kim Jain 1988 KOR Top
1. Markovic Mina 1987 SLO Top
5. Oda Momoka 1994 JPN 48
6. Posch Katharina 1994 AUT -48
6. Schranz Christine 1988 AUT -48
8. DiGiulian Sasha 1992 USA 39 


Chamonix - Speed World Cup 2011
1. Abdrakhmanov Sergey 1990 RUS
2. Hroza Libor 1987 CZE
3. ZHONG Qixin 1989 CHN
4. Sinitsyn Sergey 1983 RUS

1. Ropek Edyta 1979 POL
2. Gaydamakina Alina 1990 RUS
3. Krasavina Maria 1990 RUS
4. Jaubert Anouck 1994 FRA