Weekend Roundup: Smith and Edwards secure Silver and Bronze in Salt Lake City and Graz
The May bank holiday weekend witnessed our teams in action in Graz, Austria, for the European Youth Cup, and Salt Lake City, USA, for the Speed and Boulder World Cup and Paraclimbing World Cup.
Paraclimbing World Cup, Salt Lake City, USA
Great Britain’s Luke Smith achieved a significant milestone this week by clinching his first-ever silver medal in the opening Paraclimbing World Cup of the season in Salt Lake City.
The RP3 athlete showcased remarkable athleticism by securing second place in the qualification round, reaching hold 37 on route one and hold 34+ on route two, finishing closely behind Japan’s Tadashi Takano. Smith continued his consistency in the finals, ultimately claiming the second position overall, with Takano topping the round and Smith reaching hold 32.
Reflecting on his achievement, GB Climbing athlete Luke Smith commented, “I am very happy to get my first medal at an international competition; after breaking my hand recently it has taken really strength and determination to get back to this level of competition. To get silver really means a lot and I look forward to the next competition, in which I hope to continue contesting for the podium!”
In a notable debut, Mat Armitage delivered an outstanding international performance in a competitive category, securing 8th position in the men’s AL2 competition by reaching 12+ on route one and 23 on route two.
Seasoned athlete Jesse Dufton narrowly missed out on the finals, finishing fourth in the B1 competition. Dufton was guided by his wife, Molly Dufton, in a field where only the top three athletes would make it to the finals. Matt Styles-West also performed extremely well, securing another fourth-place finish for the British team in AU3 with James Rudge adding to the tally with a fourth-place finish in the AU2 category. Rounding out the team’s results was the RP1 athlete Laurence Morgan who finished his competition in 11th.
GB Climbing coach, Jamie Vardy, commented, “Luke Smith’s silver medal is truly inspiring. Making it to the finals is a testament to his dedication. Three of our athletes narrowly missed the finals by one place, but their unwavering effort and personal best results are a reflection on their hard work and talent.”
Lead:
Luke Smith (RP3) - 2nd
Jesse Dufton (B1) - 4th
James Rudge (AU2) - 4th
Matt Styles-West (AU3) - 4th
Mat Armitage (AL2) - 8th
Laurence Morgan (RP1) - 11th
Boulder and Speed World Cup, Salt Lake City
In the Boulder event, 17-year-old Lucy Garlick made her semi-finals debut, securing 15th place after qualifying in 17th. In a competitive field, Eugenie Robinson-Lee scored her highest World Cup result to date finishing 42nd.
Dayan Akhtar continued his impressive form from May’s Boulder World Cup in Keqiao, China, securing twentieth place in the men’s competition whilst Toby Roberts narrowly missed out on making finals, finishing seventh despite flashing problems 3 and 4 and topping 1 and 5.
Matthew Fall opened his 2024 speed season with his second-best performance at a World Cup to date in 31st place.
Boulder
Toby Roberts – 7th
Lucy Garlick – 15th
Dayan Akhtar – 20th
Eugenie Robinson-Lee – 42nd
Speed
Matthew Fall – 31st
European Youth Cup, Graz, Austria
The Boulder Youth European Cup in Graz concluded with a remarkable performance from Britain’s Emma Edwards, securing bronze in the women’s U20 competition after suffering a broken-elbow in the off-season.
Held at Bloc House, the event witnessed intense competition among Europe’s top youth climbing talent, with five GB Climbing athletes making it to the finals.
Rhys Conlon narrowly missed securing a podium spot in the U20 men’s category, finishing fourth, closely followed by Luca Martins in seventh position. Sam Hammond delivered a personal best result with a fourth-place finish in the U18 category in his first year competing internationally.
Imogen Lilley made a promising debut, marking her finals debut at the age of 14 and securing a commendable 9th place. Her performance lays a strong foundation for her future in the sport.
The event marked the conclusion of the Boulder Youth European Cup, with attention now shifting to the Lead season.
Commenting on the teams' collective achievements, Jon Garside the BMC’s Acting Head of Performance, said, “We are really pleased with the results we have seen across all three competitions, especially Luke Smith securing silver in Salt Lake City and Emma Edwards with bronze in Graz. With further opportunities to compete on the international stage in 2024 we now look forward to seeing our junior athletes turn their attention towards Lead whilst our senior athletes prepare for future World and Continental Cups”
“We’re hugely grateful for the ongoing support from coaches, parents and guardians who continue to play their role in helping sport climbing go from strength to strength”
U20 F
Emma Edwards – 3rd
U20 M
Rhys Conlon – 4th
Luca Martins – 7th
U18 F
Connie Bridgens – 13th
Izzy Bridgens – 17th
Fae Macdougall – 21st
U18 M
Sam Hammond – 4th
Tom Steele – 31st
Finley Kerswell – 46th
U16 F
Imogen Lilley – 7th
Iggy Rinaldi – 23rd
Florence Nuttall – 40th
U16 M
Harveer Seikham – 14th
Tom Bouwknegt – 39th
Related Content
Indoor Climbing
Ahead of the 2025 Boulder, Lead and Speed season, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) have made changes to how they define age categories.
Indoor Climbing News
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) is pleased to announce that the British Boulder and Lead Championships, the pinnacle of the domestic competition calendar, will take place in Manchester in early 2025.
Performance News
The IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup 2024 series concluded with a spectacular finale in Arco, Italy, marking the end of a competitive series that also included events in Salt Lake City, USA, and Innsbruck, Austria.
Performance News
British climbing sensation Toby Roberts added another medal to his collection last weekend after securing a bronze medal at the IFSC Climbing Boulder World Cup in Prague last weekend.
Indoor Climbing News
Zoe Peetermans and Sam Butterworth claimed the 2024 British Boulder Champions titles on Sunday 25th August at Last Sun Dance in Leeds.
Performance News
The IFSC Paraclimbing European Championships in Villars, Switzerland, this weekend saw 13 GB Climbing athletes clip into the Lead wall, delivering strong performances and personal bests across the board.
Performance News
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can today announce the 18 athletes who will represent the GB Climbing team at the 2024 IFSC Youth World Championships in Guiyang, China. The event is scheduled to take place from Thursday 22 August to Sunday 1 September at the Guizhou Bureau of Sports.
Olympics News
The 2024 Olympic Games are underway, and the nation's eyes are firmly on Paris and all the Team GB athletes. As Sport Climbing makes its second-ever appearance at the Olympic Games, we get to witness a new chapter in history as four climbers step out onto the mats to represent Great Britain.
Indoor Climbing News
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can today announce that the 2024 British Boulder Championships will be hosted at Last Sun Dance in Leeds.
Indoor Climbing Articles
An interview with Kenneth Ellacott, a paraclimber whose life changed post-accident
Indoor Climbing Articles
Registered blind since birth, due to a genetic condition called Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, Anna Foo lost her vision completely at the age of 15 years. Talia Lazarus interviews Anna and finds out more about her journey into the GB Paraclimbing team.
Performance News
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) celebrates the historic inclusion of Paraclimbing in the LA28 Paralympic Sport Program. This landmark decision represents a significant milestone for the sport, reflecting its growing popularity globally.
Performance News
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can today announce the 15 athletes selected to represent the GB Climbing team at the IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup Innsbruck 2024. Competition will run from Monday 24 June to Tuesday 25 June at the Kletterzentrum Innsbruck.
Performance News
Round Two of the Olympic Qualifying Series (OQS) kicked off in Budapest, marking the athletes' final opportunity to secure a spot for Paris 2024. As the heat was turned up on and off the wall the top 20 men’s and women’s Boulder & Lead semi-finalists have been confirmed.
Performance
After six remarkable years with the GB Climbing Team, Richard Slocock has announced his retirement from international competition. With an impressive tally of three gold, two silver, and three bronze medals, the 44-year-old’s contributions to the GB Climbing team have been extraordinary.
Performance
The third day of the Olympic Qualifying Series (OQS) featured the men’s and women’s Boulder & Lead semi-finals, selecting the top-eight athletes to compete in the final.
Performance
Part one of the Olympic Qualifying Series in Shanghai, China, began today with the Boulder qualifying round. 46 men and 48 women are contesting the combined Boulder and Lead event at the city’s Urban Park over a four-day event on the Huangpu riverside, all in a bid to secure coveted spots at Paris 2024.
Performance News
With the 2024 international competition season now firmly underway, teams are gearing up for events in Salt Lake City, USA, and Graz, Austria.
Performance News
The first Lead competition of the World Cup series got underway yesterday (12 April) in Wujiang, China. Erin McNeice, Molly Thompson Smith, Jack Macdougall, Max Milne, and Toby Roberts represented GB Climbing.
Performance News
Three GB Climbing athletes competed for medals at the Keqiao Boulder World Cup in China.
Performance News
The semi-final round saw four GB Climbing athletes take to the wall for the first men’s Boulder competition of the World Cup series. Due to worsening weather conditions, the qualification round was cancelled on Monday 8 April, which means that the semi-final today featured 67 athletes, with the top 20 moving into the final.
Performance News
Erin McNeice reached her first finals in an IFSC World Cup competition today, which saw the 20-year-old secure a personal best result with fifth place in the Boulder competition in Keqiao, China.
Performance News
GB Climbing’s Erin McNeice cruises into the semi-finals in the opening Boulder event of the 2024 IFSC World Cup Series in Keqiao.
Indoor Climbing News
A weekend of action was kick-started with a new British Speed Climbing Record and culminated in a fantastic day seeing many athletes vie for the title of British Champion. Here are the results of the British Lead, Speed and Paraclimbing Championships 2023:
Performance News
May 2023, saw the GB Youth Team take to the mats in Graz, Austria for the second stop of the European Youth Tour.
Performance News
Fantastic results from the GB Paraclimbing Team at the IFSC Paraclimbing World Championships 2021 in Moscow, Russia, with six medals including two World Champions.
Performance News
The GB Paraclimbing Team went big at the Paraclimbing World Championships 2019 in Briancon, France, and they did not disappoint. Amazing performances from a huge team of athletes culminated in a GB podium lockout, three double World Champions, and nine medals – the biggest medal haul we’ve ever seen from a GB team!