Ice Climbing World Cup 2017, live streaming from Corvara

The Ice Climbing World Cup 2016/17 is approaching its conclusion. The event in Corvara is the one but last stop this winter. Because of this, a good result is becoming more and more important; after all, it’s about the overall victory. With the World Championships just around the corner, it’s also important that the athletes are fighting fit. The title fights in France begin just one week after the World Cup in Corvara, which makes the South Tyrolean event almost the dress rehearsal for the World Championships.

South Korean Hee Yong Park arrives at Corvara as World Cup leader in the lead category. The reigning runner-up World Champion in the overall ranking is being closely chased by the Russians Nikolai Kuzovlev, World champion Maxim Tomilov, and Alexey Dengin. In fifth place in the overall ranking is Yannick Glatthard from Switzerland, who came second last year in Corvara behind the surprise winner Janez Svoljsak. Park has previously only won once in Corvara. It was in 2012 when he won the last edition of “Icefight”. Since then, Val Passiria has become the venue for the World Cup, and he came second twice (2013, 2015) and third once (2016).

It’s different for the women. The last two World Cup events in Corvara were won by competitors from South Korea. Last year’s event was won by Han Na Rai Song, in 2015 Woonseon Shin became World Champion. Song arrives in South Tyrol as the overall leader; Angelika Rainer from Merano is in second place in the overall ranking. The 30‑year old has been waiting for a home win since 2013. At the World Championships in 2015 Rainer came second, last year the three-time ice climbing World champion lost her footing in the final and ended up in fifth place. Angelika Rainer proved her fitness last weekend in Saas Fee, where she came second for the second time this season. She will now aim for a first World Cup victory before a home crowd this winter.

In the speed discipline two Russian winners are highly likely. In men’s competition the first 10 in the overall ranking are athletes from the geographically largest country in the world, in the women’s event the Russians are currently in the first five places.

PROGRAMME
Saturday 28 January
9:15 am: Qualification Lead
2:00 pm: Women’s Lead semi-finals
4:30 pm: Qualification Speed
6:30 pm: Women’s Speed finals
7:30 pm: Men’s Speed finals

Sunday 29 January
8:15 am: Men’s Lead semi-finals
1:00 pm: Lead finals
3:00 pm: Speed record attempt
3:30 pm: Awards ceremony

Women's Lead Semi-Finals- Ice Climbing World Cup 2017 - Rabenstein


Speed Finals - Ice Climbing World Cup 2017 - Rabenstein


Men's Lead Semi-Finals - Ice Climbing World Cup 2017 - Rabenstein


Lead Finals - Ice Climbing World Cup 2017 - Rabenstein