Climber Adam Ondra chose the race in Chamonix on purpose to return to the World Cup, he was attracted by the famous great atmosphere there. He eventually triumphed in the difficulty climb, although the final step of the final route surprised him.
French Chamonix is one of his least popular destinations. “It’s a beautiful mountain resort under the highest mountain in Europe, Mont Blanc, where they just know how to do the races. They climb in the open air in front of maybe ten thousand spectators, who create an incredible atmosphere. The French are really interested in climbing,” Ondra gushed in a recording for the media.
Qualifying was quite easy, so there was no room for mistakes. “I’m satisfied that I gave such a professional performance in the qualification and actually in the semi-finals, for sure, but not for sure, so that I didn’t waste too much power,” described the three-time world champion in the difficulty of the first round of the race. He also reached the top in the semi-finals. “It was a little more nervous for me because I knew that the route was easier again and that I needed to climb really high, ideally to the top, which I managed to do,” he commented.
The final took place on the outdoor wall under artificial lighting. “The route was quite complex, but rather along smaller holds. It crossed a lot from left to right. I would say that it was a mix of old and modern style. The new one is along such larger curves, larger structures, while the old one is along tiny holds, along slats,” Ondra described.
The most difficult passage was just along the ledges. “It was that old style that we could see many, many years ago, which I think is good for a refresh,” the 29-year-old representative commented on the work of the builders. He fell on the last step, which was a jump for the final catch. “I expected him to be completely different. When I went for that top hold, I was very confident that I would make that move, but the top hold surprised me a lot and I think I wasn’t ready for it,” he said.
The Japanese Taisei Homma also fell in the same place. “Because I had a better result in the semi-finals, I took first place. I am very happy and I am looking forward to the next race in two weeks again in France, in Briancon,” Ondra explained further plans for the summer season, the highlight of which will be August European Championship in Munich.
–
