Written by: Lizzy Scully
Posted: Sunday, 22 June 2008
American
athletes mingled with Austrians, Canadians, French and various other athletes
from around the world at a World Cup Bouldering competition, held a the TEVA
Mountain Games, Vail, Colo. This was the first World Cup climbing comp held on
American soil in two decades.
USA Climbing partnered with
the Town of Vail to bring the event to the TEVA Games. According
to Ann Worley Moelter, the executive director of USA Climbing, Teva did
a fantastic job of scheduling and marketing the event.
“Hands down, this was the
largest spectator field for a climbing competition in the United States ever,”
Moelter said. This World Cup event will help popularize climbing in America.
She plans on trying to make this an annual event.
Boulder local Daniel Woods,
who placed fifth overall at the event, added that having the event in the
United States was an important step to advancing the sport of climbing.
“I think it’s amazing that
the United States has finally hosted a World Cup after 20 years,” he stated.
“It’s a good step in helping it become an Olympic sport. Climbing is a good
contender if the U.S. becomes really involved.”
Woods added that though the
qualifiers were the “hardest I think I’ve ever competed in,” overall the
competition was amazing, the setting was beautiful and the crowds supportive.
American Alex Johnson, who
won the women’s comp, agreed.
“It was good to know that we
(Americans) put on a good show that impressed people who haven’t seen a
bouldering comp before,” she said. “I don’t want climbing to become more
commercialized, but it was great to showcase what comp climbing is all about.”
The audience clearly agreed.
The approximately 7,000 people who watched the finals on Saturday, June 8,
stuck around that evening to watch the medal ceremony, despite a chill that
descended on the mountain town.
“Standing on the podium was
really awesome,” added Johnson. “Listening to the crowd sing our national
anthem was probably the best feeling I’ve had. Doing this for the States was
awesome!”
Full results for the
climbing competition, as well as for steep creek kayaking, raft cross, kayak
freestyle, down river spring, unlimited mountain challenge, 5K mud run, 10k
run, fly fishing, hill climbing and cross-country mountain biking, please visit
www.tevamountaingames.com/results.htm.
In the spirit of this election year, as candidates local and national are out campaigning and the Democratic National Convention kicks off in Denver end of this month, we decided to check in with busy politicians around our active state to hear how they stay fit and healthy. 
