What On 20 and 21 September 2013, it was the IFSC World Cup Lead Climbing in Puurs. The rules say that the 2 qualification routes must be demonstrated. So, what is a demonstration? A demonstration is showing the competitors how the route is climbed best. You may not tell the climbers, because you might say more to some climber and tell less to another. The climber will watch a video clip where someone is climbing the route. The rules also prefer a woman demonstrating the female route and a man the male route. This is a demonstration.
Who I had given a demo last year, so I did it again this year. I am still too young to compete. Next year, when I become sixteen, I may compete. The male route is demonstrated by the route setters.
Why Why did I choose to demonstrate the selections? I had also done it last year. It was quite a job then to demonstrate just one route, but it was a good experience. This year is the last year of the world cup in Puurs, so I loved to give a demo on both qualification routes.
How How does it all work? The qualifiers are built on an empty wall. The two route setters from Klimax built them. When the first route was on the wall, I had a go to try it. When the international route setters arrived, they tested and changed the routes. One selection route was too difficult and they upgraded it to a semi-final. They built a new qualification route and I had to start all over again. Then all the route setters built the rest of the routes. It’s all very hard work, the route setters are all week busy building and changing the routes.
When I had to start a week before the world cup. And then on Wednesday before the competition, a completely new qualification route was built. I had only 2 days before my brother Alan would make the video.
The routes This year’s routes were really my style. The yellow one was in the overhang. In this one, I only fell once. The last move of this route was the most difficult one. You had to do a foot switch on the volume, with no foothold on it. The blue one is on the right side of the wall. This one is all the way one difficult move followed by an easy one. I needed 3 takes to finish it. Both routes were really pumpy. After the competition, the Japanese team, several other climbers and the chief route setter Christian Bindhammer came to tell me they were impressed saying I had done a very good job.
Celine
Demonstrations by Celine