After victories by Anna Maria and Irini Marina Aleksandry in synchronized swimming and Bettina Plank’s karate the day before, Knapp secured Poland’s third ÖOC medal.
Sport climber Lukas Knapp won the gold medal in the speed competition at the European Games in Tarnów on Friday. In the semi-finals, the Salzburg man defeated Vice European Champion Marcin Dzinski with a difference of 5.732 seconds, and in the duel for the title he defeated Frenchman Marceau Garnier. After victories by Anna Maria and Irini Marina Aleksandry in synchronized swimming and Bettina Plank’s karate the day before, Knapp secured Poland’s third ÖOC medal.
“I can’t even put it into words yet, it’s still a bit like a dream. The fact that I actually have the gold medal around my neck is incredible. All the hard work over the past 10 years has been rewarded today,” Knapp affirmed. The road to his biggest success to date hasn’t always been easy, says the 26-year-old Tyrolean by choice. “I am just happy for this special day.”
At the European Championships in Munich last year, Knapp finished 11th in the discipline race that is included in the Olympic program for the first time in 2024. His best result to date is a 15th-place finish in the World Cup. Leading the European Games, Mattia Pozzi, Eva Maria Himmeller and Matthias Busch have reached the final, which is scheduled for Saturday. Unlike some other sports, there is no synchronized European Championship in climbing, which is why not all aces compete.
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