French climber summits Pakistan’s K2 in record time
Benjamin Vedrines, 32, summited Pakistan’s K2 in just under 11 hours
Vedrines is a specialist in high-speed ascents made without aid of oxygen
Updated 29 July 2024
AFP
PARIS: French climber Benjamin Vedrines summited Pakistan’s K2 in record time on Sunday, his team told AFP, reaching the top of the world’s second-highest mountain in just under 11 hours.
The 32-year-old specialist in high-speed ascents — made without the aid of oxygen — left K2 base camp just after midnight on Saturday and reached the summit 10 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds later.
Vedrines attempted the summit in 2022 but was forced to turn back after suffering from hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in the blood caused by thin air at high altitudes.
“I took my revenge on this mountain,” Vedrines said in a voice message shared with AFP. “But above all I wanted to reconcile with it by doing things with maturity.”
“It was very symbolic for me because I was returning in my footsteps to where I experienced those very unique moments,” he said. “I really enjoyed seeing the same sections again, but with lucidity this time.”
Standing at 8,611 meters (28,251 feet) on the Pakistan-China border, K2 is 238 meters shorter than Everest but is considered more technically challenging — earning it the nickname “Savage Mountain.”
Vedrines is considered one of France’s pre-eminent climbers and set a speed record climbing Pakistan’s Broad Peak in 2022 before descending by paraglider.
He reached the top of the 8,051-meter mountain — a short distance from K2 — in seven hours and 28 minutes.
As expected, Alcaraz and Sabalenka named top-seeded players at the Australian Open
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Updated 6 sec ago
AP
MELBOURNE: Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were officially made the top-seeded players for the Australian Open which begins Sunday at Melbourne Park. The announcement on Wednesday comes a day ahead of the tournament draw. Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner was seeded second, with Alexander Zverev third and 10-time champion Novak Djokovic fourth. Sabalenka, Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff are the top three seeds in the women’s draw for the second consecutive year. Madison Keys returns as the defending champion and the ninth-seeded player, one of four American women among the top 10 seeds. — - Men’s Singles Seedings 1. Carlos Alcaraz, Spain 2. Jannik Sinner, Italy 3. Alexander Zverev, Germany 4. Novak Djokovic, Serbia 5. Lorenzo Musetti, Italy 6. Alex de Minaur, Australia 7. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada 8. Ben Shelton, United States 9. Taylor Fritz, United States 10. Alexander Bublik, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan 11. Daniil Medvedev 12. Casper Ruud, Norway 13. Andrey Rublev 14. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Spain 15. Karen Khachanov 16. Jakub Mensik, Czech Republic 17. Jiri Lehecka, Czech Republic 18. Francisco Cerundolo, Argentina 19. Tommy Paul, United States 20. Flavio Cobolli, Italy 21. Denis Shapovalov, Canada 22. Luciano Darderi, Italy 23. Tallon Griekspoor, Netherlands 24. Arthur Rinderknech, France 25. Learner Tien, United States 26. Cameron Norrie, Britain 27. Brandon Nakashima, United States 28. Joao Fonseca, Brazil 29. Frances Tiafoe, United States 30. Valentin Vacherot, Monaco 31. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greece 32. Corentin Moutet, FranceWomen’s Singles Seedings 33. 1. Aryna Sabalenka 34. 2. Iga Świątek, Poland 35. 3. Coco Gauff, United States 36. 4. Amanda Anisimova, United States 37. 5. Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan 38. 6. Jessica Pegula, United States 39. 7. Jasmine Paolini, Italy 40. 8. Mirra Andreeva 41. 9. Madison Keys, United States 42. 10. Belinda Bencic, Switzerland 43. 11. Ekaterina Alexandrova 44. 12. Elina Svitolina, Ukraine 45. 13. Linda Noskova, Czech Republic 46. 14. Clara Tauson, Denmark 47. 15. Emma Navarro, United States 48. 16. Naomi Osaka, Japan 49. 17. Victoria Mboko, Canada 50. 18. Liudmila Samsonova 51. 19. Karolina Muchova, Czech Republic 52. 20. Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine 53. 21. Elize Mertens, Belgium 54. 22. Leylah Fernández, Canada 55. 23. Diana Shnaider 56. 24. Jelena Ostapenko, Latvia 57. 25. Paula Badosa, Spain 58. 26. Dayana Yastremska, Ukraine 59. 27. Sofia Kenin, United States 60. 28. Emma Raducanu, Britain 61. 29. Iva Jovic, United States 62. 30. Maya Joint, Australia 63. 31. Anna Kalinskaya 64. 32. Marketa Vondrousova, Czech Republic — AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
