Dulac and Sdobnikova win in Kirov

Daniel Dulac and Ksenia Sdobnikova win the first stage of the IWC 2002 in Kirov

January 2002

The first stage of the Ice World Cup 2002 belongs to Daniel Dulac and Ksenia Sdobnikova. The debut to 2002 confirms the form of not only last year’s winner, but also the entire Frnech squad, which arrived in Kirov in force: team-mate Anthony Lamiche placed second, while Stephane Husson placed fourth.

The Austrian Harald Berger placed third, disrupting the “monotony” of what would otherwise have been an all-French podium. Mauro 'Bubu' Bole and Will Gadd, winner of the first ever IWC in 2000 and back to the competition after a year’s sabbatical, placed 5th equal. Their background of hard ice and mixed routes is frightening and contrasts strikingly with that of those athletes who have found their way to the IWC via sports climbing competitions. The athletic ability is therefore extremely high even if many of these had never touched ice axes and crampons before – the discussion rages on and we’ll just have to wait and see. Of the other semi-finalists, Mathias Schiestl placed 7th, Aljaz Anderle 8th and Thomas Steinbrugger 9th,

In the women’s event, Sandra Wielebnowski placed second ahead of Kirsten Buchmann third. Stephanie Maureau and Liv Sansoz placed 4th and 5th respectively, ahead of Margarita Kolodkina 6th and Mariam Filippova 8th. Mi-sun Go, in her first IWC, placed 7th.

The IWC now moves on to Austria’s Pitztal next weekend, where the first ever Ice World Championship will be held.

Daniel Dulac and Ksenia Sdobnikova, winners of the first stage in Kirov

photos ice-time

Calendar IWC 2002

Further info
www.ice-time.com

Results men
1	Daniel Du Lac	France
2	Anthony Lamiche	France
3	Harald Berger	Austria
4	Stephane Husson	France
5	William Gadd	Canada
5	Mauro Bole	italy
7	Mathias Schiestl	Austria
8	Aljaz Anderle	Slovenia
9	Thomas Steinbrugger	Austria

Results women
1	Ksenia Sdobnikova	Russia
2	Sandra Wielebnowski	Austria
3	Kirsten Buchmann	Germany
4	Stephanie Maureau	France
5	Liv Sansoz	France
6	Margarita Kolodkina	Russia
7	Mi-sun Go	Korea
8	Mariam Filippova	Russia