Six athletes make up GB Climbing Boulder team for European Youth Cup in Soure, Portugal

The BMC can today announce the team for the European Youth Cup (EYC) in Soure, Portugal from 20 - 21 April. The six-strong team across U18 and U20 age categories will use this event to increase their competition exposure and develop the skills to manage back-to-back rounds in preparation for future transition to the Senior World Cup circuit.

Going head-to-head with the best climbers in Europe, the four GB Climbing athletes competing in the U18 category are Connie Bridgens, Izzy Bridgens, Fae MacDougall and Fin Kerswell. In Curno earlier this month Connie Bridgens took eighth place in the EYC Boulder competition, her best result so far, with Fae MacDougall just missing out on a place in the finals finishing  in 11th and Izzy taking 39th. In the men’s competition, Fin Kerswell placed 26th. 

Emma Edwards and Jamie Jenkins will compete in the U20 category. After a strong season opener in Curno, where they finished fifth and sixth, they will look to build on these results in Portugal.

The wider junior Boulder team have opted to miss this competition and fully focus their training and preparation on the final Boulder EYC in Graz, Austria which will take place at the start of May.

Michelle Forrest, GB Climbing Coach, said: “This event is a chance for a number of our more experienced athletes to really hone in on their competition processes and practice competing week on week. Following Lucy Garlick’s inspiring gold medal in Curno, this focused team will look to build on their results from Curno and aim to bring more medals home.

Jon Redshaw, GB Climbing Coach, said: “I’m excited to see where the athletes are operating at their second competition of the season and how as a nation we’re developing on the international stage.  As always this is an opportunity to see where other nations are at and how we can develop further in the England National and Regional Squads.”

Team in full:

U20

Emma Edwards

Jamie Jenkins

U18

Connie Bridgens

Izzy Bridgens

Fin Kerswell 

Fae MacDougall

Coaches

Michelle Forrest

Jon Redshaw

Watch the event via the IFSC YouTube channel:

All times according to the local time (GMT+1):

Saturday 20 April: Watch the qualification round here

  • 13:35 – 16:48 U18 male and female

  • 17:34 – 20:15 U20 male and female

Sunday 21 April: Watch the finals round here

  • 10:00 – Presentation  U16 - Youth B male/female

  • 10:10 - U16 - Youth B male and female finals

  • 10:50 - 11:30 - Isolation zone opening and close U18 - Youth A and U20 - Junior male/female

  • 12:20 – Presentation U20 - Junior male and female finals

  • 12:30 - U20 - Junior  male and female finals

  • 14:10 – Presentation U18 - Youth A male and female finals

  • 14:20 - U18 - Youth A male and female finals

  • 15.45  - Award ceremony

BMC Admin