Tarnow-native Natalia Kalucka sets new personal best on her way to the European Games gold medal

The first-ever European Games gold medal in Sport Climbing was awarded tonight in Tarnow, Poland, in front of a loud and passionate crowd.

Tarnow-native Natalia Kalucka finished at the top of the women’s Speed podium, finally beating her teammate Aleksandra Miroslaw – an 11-time World Cup gold medallist and current world record holder. To do so, Kalucka saved her best for last, setting a new personal best in the race for the gold medal, where she stopped the clock at 6.57 seconds, against Miroslaw’s 6.63.

Italy’s Beatrice Colli won the first international medal of her career at Krakow-Malopolska 2023, finishing in third place thanks to her winning race against France’s Victoire Andrier. The Italian 18-year-old finished with 7.65 seconds, while the French 27-year-old slipped at the beginning of her climb and closed with 10.43 seconds.

Capucine Viglione, also representing France, placed fifth, followed by Giulia Randi of Italy, sixth, Oksana Burova of Ukraine, seventh, and Alina Shchyharieva of Ukraine, eighth. Both Ukrainian climbers set their new personal best in the competition.

Sport Climbing at Krakow-Malopolska 2023 will continue tomorrow with the Lead qualification rounds, starting at 11:30 (UTC+2:00), while the men’s Speed event – both qualification and final – will close the program starting from 20:00.

European Games Krakow-Malopolska 2023 is the Europe’s biggest multidisciplinary sporting event in 2023. More than 7 thousands athlete are competing in 26 sports and 29 disciplines for 253 gold medals. More than that, European Games 2023 are part of the qualification process for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 in 19 sports. This great celebretion of sports starts with opening ceremony in Krakow on 21st of June. The closing ceremony will take place on July 2nd.