The Spanish climber followed his World Climbing Series victory in Chamonix with another gold, while Great Britain’s Erin McNeice converted a run of finals appearances into her first senior European title
The European Lead titles were decided on the closing day of the World Climbing Europe Championship in Laval, France. The men’s and women’s finals delivered two contrasting contests in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Espace Mayenne.
GINÉS LÓPEZ CLIMBS LAST FOR GOLD
Climbing first in the men’s final, Italy’s Giovanni Placci set an early benchmark, reaching higher than the rest of the field on a route that proved demanding throughout the round.
Placci’s lead held until the final athlete, Spain’s Alberto Ginés López. Ginés López edged past the Italian’s mark with a score of 40+ to take the title, earning his second consecutive international gold medal after claiming his first World Climbing Series victory in Chamonix, France, in July.
Placci ultimately took silver, his first medal at an international event, while France’s Sam Avezou completed the podium with bronze on 33+.
For the men’s Lead complete results click here.
MCNEICE TOPS WITH SECONDS TO SPARE
Great Britain’s Erin McNeice was in a class of her own throughout the competition, topping qualification and carrying that form all the way to the final. She reached the final hold and clipped the chain with fewer than three seconds remaining, completing a dominant performance from the opening round to the last.
Belgium’s Heloïse Doumont took silver with 52 after making every hold count in the final. Slovenia’s Lučka Rakovec claimed bronze in her first European appearance since Munich 2022.
For the women’s Lead complete results click here.
DEUBLER AND POLES TOP CONTINENTAL LEAD STANDINGS
With Laval marking the final stop of the European Lead circuit, Austria’s Anika Deubler and France’s Jordi Poles finished the season atop the continental Series rankings in the discipline.
Women’s Lead:
- Anika DEUBLER (AUT)
- Iziar MARTÍNEZ ALMENDRA (ESP)
- Rafael KAZBEKOVA (UKR)
Men’s Lead:
- Jordi POLES (FRA)
- Jonas UTELLI (SUI)
- Akyan ETCHAR (FRA)
For the complete European Lead rankings click here.
NEXT UP
The final World Climbing Europe event of the season is scheduled to take place in Leipzig, Germany, on 4 October.
All European events will be live streamed on the World Climbing Europe YouTube channel. News and updates about all World Climbing events will be available on the World Climbing website, and on the Federation’s digital channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, and exclusively for the Chinese audience, Douyin, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu.
