Israel Wins Two European Youth Climbing Titles in Hungary

Israel’s youth climbing team delivered a standout performance at the European Youth Bouldering Championships in Hungary over the weekend, finishing with four medals and two European titles. The delegation from the Israeli Climbing Federation included 22 athletes, and 16 of them advanced to the semifinals, underscoring Israel’s depth in the sport.

In the under-19 boys’ competition, all of the Israeli entrants reached the semifinals and led the qualifying rounds. In the finals, Alma Sapir Levi won silver, improving on last year’s bronze in a younger age group. Geffen Levi finished fifth, while Itamar Harel was crowned European champion. Harel’s title capped three straight years on the European podium, after gold in a younger category two years ago and silver in the under-19 class last year.

In the under-21 women’s event, Alma Shlomovich placed seventh. In the under-21 men’s event, Yoni Katz took bronze, adding to a strong season in which he had already won silver at a senior European Cup. The other major highlight came when Tomer Yaakovovich, the Israeli senior national champion and one of the country’s top climbers, edged an Austrian rival in a tight under-21 men’s final to become European champion.

Israel’s anthem was played twice in the Hungarian arena as the team returned home with four medals. The federation said the result further confirmed Israel’s strength in youth bouldering, and noted that the medalists are all part of the prestigious “Brisbane” Olympic program run by the Israeli Olympic Committee and the Elite Sports Unit.