Published July 26, 2005 10:39AM
American Vadim Vinokur missed a medal at the World Games 2005 by just two handholds, finishing fourth in the quadrennial “alternative Olympics.” The World Games drew around 2,900 athletes from 90 countries to Germany for competition in such sports as orienteering, fly casting and canoe polo, as well as lead climbing and speed climbing. Only eight climbers competed in each event, including the 2004 champions from five continents and the 2005 world champion.
Not surprisingly, top competitors Angela Eiter from Austria and Patxi Usobiaga from Spain won the lead-climbing competitions. Emily Harrington, fresh off a silver medal at the World Championships, dropped to a disappointing eighth place in Germany, failing to make the finals.
Americans Patrick Cassiday and Alex Johnson each made the finals in speed climbing, and both finished fifth.
Men Lead
1. Patxi Usobiaga (SPA) 2. Tomás Mrázek (CZE) 2. Alexandre Chabot (FRA) 4. Vadim Vinokur (USA) 5. Daniel Jurg (GER)
Women Lead
1. Angela Eiter (AUT) 2. Natalija Gros (SLO) 3. Marietta Uhden (GER) 4. Ja-In Kim (KOR) 5. Muriel Sarkany (BEL) 8. Emily Harrington (USA)
Men Speed
1. Alexander Peshekhonov (RUS) 2. Serguey Sinitsyn (RUS) 3. Evgeny Vaytskhovsky (RUS) 4. Miguel Escobar Bello (VEN) 5. Patrick Cassiday (USA)
Women Speed
1. Anna Saulevich (RUS) 2. Olena Ryepko (UKR) 3. Tatiana Ruyga (RUS) 4. Valentina Yurina (RUS) 5. Alex Johnson (USA)