Molly Thompson-Smith in action in Kranj. Photo: Eddie Fowke/IFSC

Rising star of competition climbing Molly Thompson-Smith secured her first podium finish in the lead world cup at the weekend.

The 19-year-old Berghaus-sponsored athlete took third place at the final round of the International Federation of Sport Climbing event in Slovenia.

She finished behind winner Janja Garnbret, 18, climbing at her home event, who beat Jain Kim of Korea into second place. Thompson-Smith was placed seventh in the 2017 lead-climbing series.

British climber Shauna Coxsey, who earlier added this year’s bouldering world cup title to her 2016 triumph, qualified for the final round and came sixth in the lead event at her first attempt at the discipline.

Shauna Coxsey, right, with Janja Garnbret, centre, and Jain Kim. Photo: Eddie Fowke/IFSC

This secured her third place overall in the combined world cup rankings.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will include competition climbing for the first time. Athletes will need to tackle the three different disciplines: speed, lead and bouldering.

The winner of the men’s section of the final lead world cup in Kranj was Jakob Shubert of Austria, with Alexander Megos of Germany taking second place and Russian Dmitrii Fakirianov picking up a bronze medal.