Successful first Highline World Championships in LAAX

Last weekend, the 31 best slackline athletes in the world showed off their skills against the spectacular backdrop of Crap Sogn Gion in LAAX. On highlines, each 63 meters long and at a height of 20 meters, they competed to become the first world champions. In the "Speed Highline" discipline, the participants started together, regardless of gender. In the "Freestyle Highline" discipline, men competed against men and women against women.

Thrilling race on Saturday

Matheus Vidal (BRA) already impressed on Friday in the speed qualification, when he mastered the 60-meter section on the 100-meter speed highline in just 00:34:74 seconds. On Saturday in the semifinals, it looked for a long time as if he would repeat his performance. But then, in a dramatic finish against Daniel Laruelle (BEL), he fell just 10 centimeters before the finish line and was unable to advance to the final. Benoît Brume (FRA) ultimately claimed victory and his first-ever world championship title with a time of 00:37:54 seconds. Daniel Laruelle (BEL) and Matheus Vidal (BRA) took second and third place in the final standings. Still, Vidal clocked the fastest time of the entire event with his qualifying time of 00:34:74 seconds.

The fastest woman was Tania Monier (FRA) with a time of 01:24:38 minutes, but she was eliminated in the qualifying round on Friday. Four of the five Swiss participants suffered the same fate. Only Ramun Tomaschett from Cumbel in Graubünden made it through the qualifying round in sixth place. However, he was defeated by Daniel Laruelle (BEL) in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

Spectacular tricks on Sunday

With Raphael Bacot, Richard Schuppisser, and Samuel Volery, three Swiss athletes qualified for Saturday's quarterfinals on Friday. However, Volery had to withdraw due to injury, and Bacot and Schuppisser were also unable to advance to Sunday's semifinals. That's where things really got going, with tricks never before seen in competition being conjured up on the freestyle highline. After intense battles in the final, the world's best freestyle highliners were determined: Davis Hermes (USA) secured victory in the men's competition and thus the world championship title with the trick "The Holy Grail," a double forward spin around the highline. The women's competition was no less spectacular: Louise Lenoble (FRA) performed a "Front Almighty Flip," a standing turn around the highline while holding on with her feet. This earned her the victory and the title of world champion in freestyle highlining.

The first Highline World Championship was a spectacular event and a resounding success. Thomas Buckingham, chief organizer and president of the Swiss and International Slackline Association, looks back on the past weekend with satisfaction: "With the first world championship and the worldwide live broadcast, slacklining has come a long way. Our next goal is official recognition as a sport by Swiss Olympic."