Four tops in a row, a strong performance in difficulty, and a roaring crowd at the Espace Mayenne in Laval that shakes the walls: the French combined climbing team has its first Olympic climber. Congratulations Oriane, this European qualifying competition was yours.
As she ascends in the final route, the atmosphere in the venue becomes more and more suffocating, hands are sweaty. And then it explodes, the crowd stands up, screams, Bertone understands, she has just secured her Olympic spot. “Every time I grabbed a hold, I listened a little, I thought to myself ‘oh no, not this one, the next one’ and then I understood one of the holds. It was incredible,” she confesses, tears in her eyes.
As the favorite of the competition, the French climber dominated the qualifications and the semi-finals before asserting her dominance in this third round. The only climber to complete all four boulders in one attempt, Bertone, who came in third in difficulty, earns the precious Olympic ticket. “I don’t have enough words to describe how I feel, in the heat of the moment, it’s mind-blowing. I also realized it while I was in it. It’s incredible to feel like this. I wanted this ticket, I got it, it’s amazing. I came here in great shape, more than ever before. I’m proud to have managed my climb.”
This pride is shared by Nicolas Januel, coach of the French team: “It was a big goal for her, also to have more flexibility in the preparation for next year. She achieved the set goal as the overwhelming favorite, so it’s rich in lessons for the future. She won all three rounds, so the content, beyond the result, is interesting. And it wasn’t easy to go last, with the atmosphere, she embraced her status as the favorite. We will be able to build on this for next year.”
Zélia Avezou (ES Massy), also competing in this final, finishes in 5th place. Sam Avezou wins bronze, Toby Roberts on the road to Paris
In the afternoon, the French climbers once again thrill the crowd! Sam Avezou (ES Massy) completes the boulders one by one. Only the last one gets in his way, like it does for all the other climbers, but the Massy climber takes first place with nearly 20 points ahead of the competition. In difficulty, Avezou finishes 6th, allowing him to step on the third step of the podium in the combined event, non-qualifying for Paris 2024. The second French competitor today, Mejdi Schalck (Chambéry escalade), vice-world champion in bouldering, finishes 6th in this final.
After a strong performance in bouldering, Roberts reaches the top of the final route to close the competition on a high note.
All the results.
