Town hosts sport climbing

North Island teenagers Emma Lovegrove (15) and Daniel Krippner (17) emerged as the speed climbers to beat at the end of the first round of the New Zealand sport climbing national cup competition in Wanaka yesterday.

Emma was competing for the A Team club from Auckland and Daniel was competing for the Rotorua Climbing Club, although he lives in Hamilton.

Both were climbing in open categories for the first time and thrilled with their results. Daniel, the reigning Oceania and New Zealand under-18 champion, also won the open men's lead climbing final on Saturday night, while Rowie Hines won the women's open lead climbing event.

Emma was third in the lead event.

Emma and Daniel said they intended to compete in other competition rounds later this year.

There were 45 athletes at the event.

The fledgling Wanaka Cliffhangers club put up nine athletes and was the only Otago club to take on five clubs from Auckland, Rotorua, Mt Maunganui, Wellington and Christchurch.

Josh Rogan and Liam Paulin-Kemp were first and second in the under-12 boys lead event while Amelia Hide and Rebecca Hilton repeated the one-two sweep in the under-12 girls category.