2023-09-27 09:51:10
This is not yet another challenge that will scare this professional climber. Sixth woman in the world to have climbed a route rated 9A + (assessment of the difficulty of the route to climb), Nolwen Berthier is traveling to La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) for a unique challenge. From September 29 to October 1, the first international bouldering competition will be held where men and women will compete. “It thrills me to participate in an event that experiments with new ways of doing things. Diversity in competition could well lend itself to our sport. We have different qualities,” confides this former member of the French team.
This sports bet is the initiative of members of the Cape Town association, carrying the first edition of the multidisciplinary festival El Capp Fest, including the competition open to professionals and amateurs. These climbing enthusiasts are expecting around 200 competitors at Cabanes Urbaines, a La Rochelle bouldering climbing gym hosted in a third place with an ecological and social vocation. “I recognize that there is a fairly timid reception, with few girls involved at the moment. But there will be members of the French team and a few internationals,” notes Benoît Lacroix, president of Cape Town and founder of Urban Cabins.
A test for the 2028 Olympics?
The organizer knows that the technical challenge is high, since diversity is part of the unknowns in the equation. And this is precisely what motivates him: “We are a laboratory! With the democratization of climbing gyms, the evolution of equipment and gestures, today there are women who can beat men. This is not the norm, it remains an exception. The positioning of the sockets can favor this or that body shape, we will have to succeed in satisfying everyone. »
The competition is supported by the national and international federations of the discipline, delighted “to have an event which serves as a test. The IOC (International Olympic Committee) encourages mixed formats, which could include the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028,” underlines Benoît Lacroix. The qualifying phases are played individually, the final phases in mixed teams drawn at random. With 20,000 euros up for grabs, shared between the top eight. Competitors who have minimized their carbon impact to come will also be rewarded.
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