Faith '12 Finishes 15th at World Youth Sport Climbing Championships

Faith Sullivan, who graduated in May, advanced to the finals and finished 15th in the Junior Female Speed Competition at the International Federation of Sport Climbing World Youth Championships, held in Singapore.  
The 18-year-old from Hamilton, VA, had the 10th fastest qualifying time and faced the 7th seeded woman from Russia in the first of the head-to-heads. Unfortunately, Faith missed hitting the right part of the timer and her climb was recorded as a fall (incomplete) leaving her in 15th overall.

"I would have been 9th if I had hit the timer right," said Faith. "But it was still awesome!"

Faith qualified to represent the U.S in Singapore with a top finish at the U.S Championships earlier this summer. She is taking a gap year to focus on climbing, which is on the short list of possible new sports in the Olympics.

In the speed competition, competitors train on a particular route all year to build up their muscle memory of each movement, becoming as fast as their physical and mental abilities can possibly allow. Faith trained for three weeks before Nationals. Competitors try to go their absolute fastest in the qualifying rounds to set up a good seed for the sudden-death head to heads. 

"There are two identical IFSC Speed routes set right next to each other at the climbing venue with timers set at the very bottom under your foot and one at the top of the wall which you hit with your hand," explained Faith. "After the announcer says 'on your mark, ready *beep*' your foot leaves the pedal, starting the timer and, at the end of the route, your hand stops the timer.

"At the Worlds, I was racing against a Russian. Russians are INCREDIBLY fast. I was on her tail for most of the climb, but I hit the corner of the timer-pedal at the top of the route, as opposed to the center -- that failed to stop the timer, marking me with a fall instead of a completed route.

"If I had hit an inch closer to the center I would have been in 9th, but because I 'fell' I got 15th place. It's disappointing, but I know I am a faster climber than that, and I plan to continue training speed to make podium during the Pan-American Championships over Thanksgiving in Chile, and definitely doing better at the next World Championships in Canada."
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