15-year-old Austrian girl becomes youngest lead climbing world champion

XINING, June 28 (Xinhua) -- A 15-year-old Austrian girl won the women's lead final in IFSC World Cup on Saturday in Qinghai of northwest China, becoming the youngest world champion in this series.

The 2-day 2008 Qinghai Plateau Climbing World Cup concluded Saturday afternoon, with athletes from China, Austria and Czech Republic sharing the four champions in speed and lead.

Johanna Ernst, ranked 21st in the world before Saturday, was the only athlete that reached the top in the final. She was also the only one that got top all in qualification, semifinal and final.

Ernst was still in European youth games last year, and it was her first time to attend the Climbing World Cup.

"The route wasn't very easy. Sometimes it was very hard. I can't believe it yet that I won," said she. "It's amazing."

The organizers designed the route and the wall all in accordance with international game standard and restricted the time within 6 minutes, bringing more difficulty to the athletes.

None of the other athletes managed to the top in the final. Nataliya Gros, the world NO. 4 women's lead athlete from Slovenia, just missed the top a little bit and got the runner-up. The third place belonged to Charlotte Durif, a 17-year-old French and ranked6th in the world.

Ernst told the result to her parents at home. "They are very proud and you know, they are very happy," said she. "Also they can't believe it. They cried for me."

Ernst, who still wore a teeth-hoop, began to learn climbing when she was 8 years old. She said she planned to participate in the next World Cup and see how the world ranking would be.

"I don't know," She smiled when asked weather to be make climbing a career.

In men's lead, the route is much more challenging and no athletes got the top. Tomas Mrazek, the defending champion from Czech Republic, won the game by highest height.

"I feel good, especially because I've been three times in China in the World Cup, one time in Shanghai, last year here in Qinghai and this year again. It's good to replay, to compete here," said Mrazek.

The 26-year-old professional remarked the route "good and plus hard". "It's more interesting for the public and for the TV to see," he added.

The world lead NO. 1, Ramon Julian Puigblanque, NO. 2 Patxi Usobiaga Lakunza, and NO.5 Jorg Verhoeven all failed in the middle of the game.

The runner-up of men's lead is Jakob Schubert, an Austrian boy born in 1990. Sachi Anma from Japan got the bronze medal.

Anma is the only Asian athlete that appeared in the lead final." My endurance power is good, but I'm not good at boulder. I'll keep training on that," said he.

Anma attended the Qinghai World Cup last year and got the ninth. "This year's bronze medal is my best place in the World Cup. It'll be a starting point for me," said he.

The Chinese athletes dominated in both men's and women's speed climbing and created two new world records on Friday, but neither of them got qualified in the lead.

Qinghai is the seventh stop of this year's Climbing World Cup series. It is the third time for this mountainous plateau province to host the world-class climbing competition. A total of 76 athletes from 19 countries and regions participated in the game.

The next World Cup would be held on July 4 to 5 in Montauban, France, according to the calendar on the website of International Federation of Sport Climbing.