Fischhuber and Noguchi victorious in Sheffield. Fischhuber wins 5th Bouldering World Cup

2005, 2007, 2008, 2009. And now 2011. These aren't any old years, but the Bouldering World Cup titles that Austrian Kilian Fischhuber has managed to clinch in his nigh-unbeatable competition career. His latest victory comes one comp ahead of schedule after winning the 8th stage in Sheffield last weekend which has secured him an unassailable 122 point lead prior to the last event in Munich in mid August.

With closest rival Dmitry Sharfutdinov absent, Fischhuber won the event by beating Swissman Cédric Lachat (2nd) and Alexey Rubtsov from Russia (3rd) and while all three topped out on two problems in the final, super Kilian won his record-breaking 5th title thanks to the number of attempts needed. After his winning run the Austrian stated "Everything was perfect today and I'm ecstatic about this victory! Winning the overall World Cup for the fifth time in a season where I managed to win four stage is simply a dream come true!"

While things are secure in the men's event, the same certainly cannot be said for the women's event where the battle for overall victory has unexpectedly gone down to the wire. Austrian Anna Stöhr has been fighting hard to regain her initial form which netted her three victories and three second places, and last year's winner Akiyo Noguchi from Japan has inexorably managed to whittle away the lead and narrow the gap to an exciting 5 points after Stöhr's sixth place on Sunday. Noguchi's win in Sheffield last weekend is her third straight victory in a row - and fourth in 2011 - and much like Fischhuber, she sent the two final tops in less attempts than Frenchwoman Melissa Le Neve (2nd) and American Alex Puccio (3rd).

All eyes are now glued on the World Championship in Arco in 10 days time... and then, after a well-earned break, the final showdown in Munich on 19 August. But as we said, the main focus is now on the great battle at the World Championships in Arco.


IFSC Climbing Worldcup (B) - Sheffield (GBR) 2011
Men
1 Fischhuber Kilian 1983 AUT 2t3 3b4
2 Lachat Cédric 1984 SUI 2t5 4b9
3 Rubtsov Alexey 1988 RUS 2t13 4b13
4 Woods Daniel 1989 USA 1t2 4b14
5 Caleyron Thomas 1984 FRA 1t2 3b4
6 de Leeuw Nicky 1989 NED 1t3 3b5

Women
1 Noguchi Akiyo 1989 JPN 2t2 4b4
2 Le Neve Melissa 1989 FRA 2t3 3b5
3 Puccio Alex 1989 USA 2t7 4b11
4 Wurm Juliane 1990 GER 1t1 3b4
5 Saurwein Katharina 1987 AUT 1t1 2b2
6 Stöhr Anna 1988 AUT 1t2 4b8