My first senior worlds

After my Awesome weekend in Sheffield, winning the Youth A BLCCs and coming 3^rd in the Seniors I was stunned to be invited on to the Senior Lead Team.  My first event would be the Senior Lead World Cup in Kranj at the end of November.   I was going for the experience and I had no expectations (but I did not want  to come last).  I journeyed down South with Ed, Dave and Ellie on the Thursday night for an early flight out of on Friday. 

 

Saturday we arrive at the wall only to find that a mix up from the BMC meant our comp vests were not the same, my junior kit did not match the seniors and so the team risked disqualification.   So I find myself in a senior comp and sharing a vest with Ed. With 59 competitors the groups was split in half and both qualifiers run at the same time. My draw meant that I am second up on one of the routes…..at the same time Adam Ondra is on the other route.  

 

 

Screen shot from IFSC feed.

The routes were the hardest I have ever climbed but a great challenge; I passed moves I thought I would fall at and then fell where I thought would be OK.  Although I finished well down the field, I was not last and I had climbed well.  It was incredible to climb with the world’s best and it has really given me something to aim for in my training.

By Connor Byrne.