The Slovenian climbing team, led by Janja Garnbret (in the middle), has revealed its high goals for this year’s season. Photo: STA
Garnbretova is already looking towards the Olympic Games
With the competitions in Keqiao from May 1 to 3, the sport climbing World Cup season will begin. Slovenia has understandably high goals when it has in its ranks the best climber of all time, Janja Garnbret. Two years before the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Korošica has been focusing on preparing for the biggest sporting event.
When it comes to sport climbing, all eyes are always on Janja Garnbret. The best female climber of all time was also in the center of attention at the opening press conference of the Slovenian national team before the start of the new World Cup season, which will begin with the matches in Keqiao on May 1. First, there will be a bouldering competition. Since the Slovenian champion has a lot of fans in Asia, the match in China is understandably one of the five that she marked on her calendar to participate in this season.
“Coach Roman Krajnik and I chose bouldering and difficulty races, which are my favourites. That’s how I want to keep in touch with the competition and competitive form, I’m looking forward to every goal this year,” he said Janja Garnbret explained her selection of matches where, in addition to Keqiao, she will perform in Wujiang (difficulty), Innsbruck (difficulty and boulders), Koper (difficulty) and finally in Santiago de Chile (difficulty).
Instantly a historic occasion
The twenty-seven-year-old will flirt with a new historic result already in the first match. So far, she has collected 49 victories in World Cup matches and is thus chasing the jubilee fiftieth. “I will do everything to reach it already in China,” Garnbretova resolutely attacks the milestone, emphasizing that she feels a positive sense of trepidation. “There is a positive nervousness, I am very much looking forward to the matches and I think I am well prepared,” says one of the most dominant female athletes of all time.
At the press conference, Janja Garnbret also presented two goals that motivate her in training. “I will take part in the matches in order to keep in touch with the competition. I will always compete with my thoughts on the Los Angeles Olympics. I am aware that they are still far away, but we are getting closer with each match,” she confirmed that she wants to win a third Olympic gold in the USA. She will try to use her summer competition break to realize her own desire to climb natural walls. Another year, she will go to France, where she wants to overcome the Bibliographie route, rated 9b+ on the Ceuse mountain.
European championships and a home match in Koper
The Slovenian climbing team is not only Janja Garnbret, but other excellent climbers also have high goals. Jennifer Buckley and Lucija Tarkuš and Anže Peharc and Timotej Romšak will be in the company of the best female climbers in the first bouldering competition. A week later in Wujiang, Lučka Rakovec, Mia Krampl, Rosa Rekar and Lucija Tarkuš in the women’s category and Luka Potočar in the men’s category.
“Rightfully so, we always aim high. Otherwise, there are no Olympic Games or World Championships in the new season, but there will be European Championships in bouldering in Barcelona in July and difficulty in Laval in August, where I want more visible achievements. Even in the World Cup, it will be varied and each match will be a goal in itself,” the national team selector revealed the goals Gorazd Horseradishwho also said that the big goal is the home match in Koper in September. “I want them to create a good atmosphere again with good results at the difficult home game in Koper. When Janja is with us, it will be fairly easy, but even otherwise, the rest of the national team will try their best and do their best,” he added, noting that the national team is perfectly prepared.
Mia Krampl has her goals written down in a notepad
“I gained a lot of experience last year. I learned to handle pressure better. I used every match to learn and took away a lot even from the matches where everything didn’t go according to plan. Expectations are higher than last year. The approach is the same: I focus on my climbing,” the young woman revealed her plans for the season Rosa Rekarwho impressed last year with a silver medal at the World Difficulty Championship. After a bad last season, she is also motivated again Mia Krampl: “I can take more from a bad season than from a perfect one. I asked myself what was wrong, and so I tried to improve the things that distracted me and held me back.” Kramplova did not want to reveal her goals, but said that she wrote them down in a notebook.
The men’s team is much smaller than the women’s team, but no less ambitious. Experienced Anže Peharc, bouldering specialist, said: “I have to say I’m quite surprised with my form. As I saw abroad during joint training sessions, I am in better shape than last year.” National team colleague Luka Potočar he added: “Until you conquer everything, you want more. I can’t wait for the new season.”
