The climber from Sant Cugat del Vallès, Carla Martínez, has been crowned champion of the speed event at the European Cup held during GRAVITEO, the urban sports festival taking place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The climber from Sant Cugat del Vallès Carla Martínez has won the gold medal in the speed event of the European Cup, contested this weekend at the GRAVITEO festival at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The 22-year-old athlete triumphed in a thrilling final against the Ukrainian Kseniia Horielova with a time of 6.743 seconds, establishing herself as one of the great prospects in speed climbing at the continental level.
An impeccable path to gold
Martínez, who competed in front of her family and friends, started the day confidently. In the first round, she stopped the clock at 6.62 seconds, a mark that already positioned her as a favourite. In the quarter-finals, with a very similar time of 6.63, she eliminated the Spanish Leyre Ruiz (7.56) and secured her place in the semi-finals.
In the penultimate round, the climber from Sant Cugat clearly surpassed the German Nelle Thomas, who ultimately took home the bronze. The final was an electric duel: Martínez started focused, visualising each movement, and gave no chance to Horielova, achieving a time of 6.743 that earned her the top spot on the podium.
“First of all, it was very hot, so we had to adapt a bit to those temperatures. And I experienced it with a bit of nerves because my whole family, all my friends were here. But well, with each attempt, I gained more confidence until the end,” explained the champion after the event.
GRAVITEO, a showcase for urban sports
The GRAVITEO festival, held this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, brings together disciplines such as climbing, skateboarding, BMX, and breaking. For Martínez, events like this are key to promoting her sport. “It’s very important, this way the sport gets visibility. With more sports, many more people can see our sport. This encourages them to try it,” she stated.
The climber from Sant Cugat highlighted that speed climbing generates great excitement among the audience. “As anything can happen in a second, there’s a lot of excitement, a lot of tension, and it creates a lot of adrenaline even for the spectators. And I think it’s a great sport to watch,” she commented.
The rise of climbing, according to Martínez, is directly linked to its inclusion in the Olympic Games. “Speed climbing was seen a lot in the Olympics, and now there’s an increasing number of people who want to do it and are interested. So I think it’s because of the Olympics,” she pointed out.
A promising future for Catalan climbing
Carla Martínez's victory at GRAVITEO reinforces the positive momentum of speed climbing in Spain, and especially in Catalonia, where more and more young people are becoming interested in this discipline. The athlete from Sant Cugat, who trains at the Rocódromo de la Zona Esportiva in her city, is emerging as a candidate to represent Spain in future international championships.
Martínez's next big challenge will be the Climbing World Cup, which will take place in September in Innsbruck (Austria). The climber is confident in maintaining the level shown at GRAVITEO and continuing to achieve success for her city’s sport.
For climbing enthusiasts in Sant Cugat, Martínez's victory is a source of pride and an invitation to try this sport. The Rocódromo de la Zona Esportiva offers courses for all levels, and participation in events like GRAVITEO demonstrates that speed climbing is a spectacle worth watching live.
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