Double gold for Abbie Robinson and Jay Jackson in Laval
Abbie Robinson and sight guide Jay Jackson struck gold twice in Laval as the British duo continued their impressive run of success at the Para Climbing World Series and European Championship.
Abbie topped every route she attempted across the weekend, culminating in a composed performance in the B2 final to secure gold in both competitions, with the Laval event counting towards the World Series and European Championships.
The final came down to time after all finalists topped the route. Robinson reached the top in 3:40, finishing one minute and three seconds ahead of Luisa Grube and Svenja Preußke of Germany.
Speaking after the final, Abbie said:
“I topped both of my qualis routes and then topped the finals route, which came down to time. Three of us topping it shows we’re totally ready to be pushed as a category, which is really exciting – the category is getting stronger.
“I think me and my sight guide Jay have really worked on our process in terms of how we work together in iso and how we work together on the wall, and I think we’re really nailing that, so that’s really cool.”
There was further podium success for Great Britain in the women's AL2 category, with Joanna Newton taking bronze in the World Series event and silver in the European Championships. The double podium marks Newton's first international medals since taking a year away from competition for health reasons.
For Ewan Richardson, Laval provided another significant first. Competing in only his second World Series event after joining the GB Para Climbing team this year, Richardson reached a World Series final for the first time in his debut season. He improved on his seventh-place qualification position to finish sixth in the RP1 final, scoring 44+.
Ewan said:
“I had no expectations coming into my first finals in a competition. The route was amazing so I’m pretty happy and I’m still a bit discombobulated.
“Coming out for the presentations and seeing the flag, and someone holding the flag behind me for me representing my country, that’s when I kind of hit me that, wow, this is kind of a big deal.”
There were four GB finalists across the Laval competition, with Luke Smith finishing sixth in the men's RP3 final after scoring 20+, while Lux Losey-Sail and Max Losey finished fourth in the B3 final with a score of 32+.
Laval Para Climbing World Series – GB results
Click here to view the full results from the Laval Para Climbing World Series event.
B1
Jesse Dufton & Molly Dufton – 5th
B2
Abbie Robinson & Jay Jackson – 1st (Gold)
Lucy Hobdon & Danielle Griffith – 9th
B3
Lux Losey-Sail & Max Losey – 4th
AL1
Will Ruane – 9th
AL2
Joanna Newton – 3rd (Bronze)
Esme Harte – 6th
Mat Armitage – 12th
AU2
Isabella Walsh – 10th
RP1
Ewan Richardson – 6th
Peter McCarthy- 18th
Laurence Morgan - 25th
Lucy Keyworth – 7th
Campbell Plant – 9th
RP3
Luke Smith – 6th
Charlotte Andrew – 8th
Anita Aggarwal – 9th
AU3
Mark Seurre – 16th
Laval Para Climbing European Championships – GB results
Click here to view the full results from the Laval World Climbing European Championship event.
B1
Jesse Dufton & Molly Dufton – 4th
B2
Abbie Robinson & Jay Jackson – 1st (Gold)
Lucy Hobson & Danielle Griffith – 7th
B3
Lux Losey-Sail & Max Losey – 4th
AL1
Will Ruane – 8th
AL2
Joanna Newton – 2nd (silver)
Esme Harte – 4th
Mat Armitage – 8th
AU2
Isabella Walsh – 7th
RP1
Ewan Richardson – 6th
Peter McCarthy- 15th
Laurence Morgan - 21st
Lucy Keyworth – 4th
Campbell Plant – 6th
RP3
Luke Smith – 4th
Charlotte Andrew – 6th
Anita Aggarwal – 7th
AU3
Mark Seurre – 10th
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