Papert and Berger 2006 ice champions

Ines Papert and Harald Berger win in Norway and in doing so win the overall Ice Climbing World Cup 2006.

March 2006

Ines Papert and Harald Berger win in Norway and in doing so win the overall Ice Climbing World Cup 2006. Last Saturday and Sunday the fifth and final stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup took place in Hemesdal, Norway, after starting off in Daone (Italy) in January before continuing in Spicak (Czech Republic), Saas Fee (Switzerland), Busteni (Romania) and now Hemsedal.

Pre-tour favourites Ines Papert from Germany and Harald Berger from Austria lived up to expectations, with Papert producing an unbeatable 5 straight victories in 5 competitions. Berger won the overall title with 3 wins (joint-equal in Daone with Samuel Anthamatten, joint-equal in Busteni with Evgeny Kryvosheitzev, and victory in Hemsedal), one 5th place in Saas Fee and one 3rd place at Spicak.

In Norway Papert beat Stephanie Maureau from France and Jenny Lavarda from Italy, second and third respectively, while Berger beat Evgeny Kryvosheitzev from the Ukraine and teammate Markus Bendler. Anna Torretta from Italy and Stephanie Maureau placed second and third respectively in the overall 2006 results, as did Simon Wandeler from Switzerland and Evgeny Kryvosheitzev.

The World Cup Speed was won by the Russians Maxim Vlasov and Julia Oleynikova, and they were followed in second place by Swiss Urs Odermatt (the only non-Russian with a podium position) and Igor Fayzulin, and Natalia Kulikova and Maria Shabalina.

The first UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup has now come to an end. This first UIAA edition was marked by light and darkness, at times it seemed in difficulty in finding its true identity. Tried and tested "expert" stages such as Daone and Saas Fee (ice climbing competitions date back here to 1999) were joined by other stages which encountered logistical problems - read the inadequate competition structure in Spicak and Hemsedal. In this context though, it is important though to underline the extremely positive first experience of the competition in Busteni.

It should be added that things were rendered more complicated by the international Federation's "difficulty" in applying suitable rules for ice climbing competitions, and the overall lack of organisation. But as we mentioned before, this was the first UIAA World Cup and there is still plenty of space for improvement and for the federation and the single competitions to get to know each other better: the task is not impossible.

See you next year, for the second edition of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup!

UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD CUP 2006
5th and final stage Hemsedal (Norway)
Women
1) Ines Papert GER
2) Stephanie Maureau FRA
3) Jenny Lavarda ITA
4) Ksenya Sdobnikova RUS
5) Anna Torretta ITA
6) Koulikova Natalia RUS
7) Lee Myunghee KOR
8) Angelika Rainer ITA
9) Franziska Duhnhuber GER
10) Barbara Zwerger ITA
10) Yukie Ishihara JAP
12) Fiona Murray SCO
13) Rumiko Morimune JAP
14) Ulia Oleinikova RUSS

Men
1) Harald Berger (AUS)
2) Evgeny Kryvosheitzev (UKR)
3) Markus Bendler (AUS)
4) Simon Wandeler (SWI)
5) Jirka Pelikan (CZR)
6) Israel Blanco (SPA)
7) Herbert Klammer (ITA)
8) Gerd Duhnhuber (GER)
9) Jarle Kalland (NOR)
10) Boris Bihler (FRA)
10) Alexey Vagin (RUS)

UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD CUP 2006
Overall results
Women
1) INES PAPERT GER
2) ANNA TORRETTA ITA
3) STEPHANIE MAUREAU FR
4) KSENIA SDOBNIKOVA RUS
5) KIRSTEN BUCHMANN GER
6) JENNY LAVARDA ITA

Men
1) HARRY BERGER AUT
2) SIMON WANDELER SUI
3) MARKUS BENDLER AUT
4) EVGENY KRYVOSHEYTSEV UKR
5) SAMUEL ANTHAMATTEN SUI
6) JACK MULLER SUI
7) HERBERT KLAMMER ITA