On Saturday 1st July, the final stage of the European Difficulty Climbing Championship 2017 revealed its winner: the Chamoniard Romain Desgranges!
What an honour! The Chamoniard Romain Desgranges won Gold in the mens' Lead discipline. The athlete regained the title of European Climbing Champion, which he had previously won in 2013, in Chamonix.
The European Difficulty Climbing Championship 2017 took place from 30 June to 1st July in Campitello di Fassa, Italy.
Victory for our Chamoniard!
According to the FFME - French Federation of Mountain and Climbing, by taking the best performance on each of the laps in the competition, Romain Desgranges has imposed his rhythm on this European Difficulty Climbing Championship.
The Chamoniard managed to take the best of the legend Adam Ondra (CZE), posing two more movements up the track. The Austrian Jakob Schubert completed the podium and the second French climber in the final, Thomas Joannes, finished 6th.
"It's always tough to have a great championship: the title is played on a competition!" Seven months after my last international meeting, I did not know where I was. I did not know if I could fight for the title. I had a lot of good points in this competition, I climbed well and won each of the rounds of the event: I have the confirmation that I have a physical and mental level in its top conditions to start the international season" said Romain Desgranges, the new European Climbing Champion.
"This is my second continental victory, for sure it does not have the same flavor as the first one. In 2013, it was my first international gold medal, at home, in front of my family and friends. The emotions on this 2017 title are more inward, but that in no way detracts me from this great victory. We're working hard for those 5-10 seconds of adrenaline, those rare moments when the dream comes true. Now I have to get back to work: it's up the World Cup circuit!", he added.
Romain Desgranges (35), started climbing when he was 14 years old in his school.
Our best wishes for him. Bravooo Romain!
Women's results
The belgian Anak Verhoeven wins the gold in women's discipline. She is ahead Mina Markovic of Slovenia and Jessica Pilz of Austria.
The French climbers Salomé Romain and Nolwenn Arc took respectively the 5th and 8th places.
