World Climbing Championships
One of the highlights of the summer season in Chamonix, the World Climbing Championships, has been drawing in big crowds of spectators all week. Taking place on a specially built (and extremely daunting looking!) climbing wall at the running track (opposite MBC), the competition has been underway since Tuesday.
Last night, things began to get really exciting with the final of the speed climbing category – an astonishing display of strength and skill in which the Russians undoubtedly deserved to retain their champions crowns. Speed climbing is a discipline that the Russians excel at when compared to the other nations taking part. Last night they took 4 out of the 5 top spots in the men's event and 3 out of 5 for the women, with Venezuela and Poland claiming the remainder. Speed is the category that they focus most of their training effort on and it certainly paid off if last nights display was anything to go by.
In an event that is dominated by eastern European countries, the competition will open out tonight with the technical difficulty round. The climbers contort themselves into unbelievable positions in an effort to make it to the top of the wall. The heats will be going on throughout the afternoon and the finals will take place from 8pm.
After the winners' prize giving, the entertainment continues well into the night with a spectacular Bastille Day fireworks display from 10.45pm and then the Cham'Biere fest at the MBC will keep you partying through into the small hours!
Photo credit: Le Dauphiné
