In a rather strange final were all boulders were topped but were most actually could not move from the start hold on the three first boulders. We saw a nice happy ending with five tops in just six tries on the last boulder and two very popular Slovenians on top.

Gregor Vezonik was #50 in the WC 2017 and started out in the same level in 2018 by being #51 in Meiringen. Then in Moscow something kicked in and he was #3 in Moscow and overall in 2018 he ended #5.

The overall winner 2018 Jernej Kruder also from Slovenia has a similar story but at a much higher level. In between 2010 and 2017, where he has been competing actively, he has always been in between #8 and 31 overall before winning in great style 2018.

Interesting is that Gregor and Jernej have almost opposite approach when it comes to training and climbing focus. Jernej is almost not training indoors at all and instead he enjoys all disciplines including trad and multipitches. Gregor on the other hand has a structured approach mainly focusing on indoor bouldering.

1. Gregor Vezonik SLO
2. Jernej Kruder SLO
3. Jakob Schubert AUT
Complete results

The overall world cup 2018 was decided on the last boulder when Akiyo Noguchi flashed to put pressure on Miho Nonaka. She also flashed, secured the overall title, and actually starting cry holding the last top. Then Janja Garnbret made her fourth flash in a row to win the competition. This was as exciting and thrilling as it can get. These three girls have been totally superior in 2018 and their worst result were third. Complete results (c) Heiko Wilhelm

Yuji Fujiwaki, who never has made it to the final, won the semi by being the only one to top all four boulders. Also in the qually, the Japanese was the only one to top all problems. Among the female, Janja Garnbret and Fanny Gibert were tied winners. Both Japan and Slovenia did get two male and two female into the final. In total Japan got 5 female Top-11 and 6 male Top-9. Complete results

Jernej Kruder is the Boulder World Cup winner 2018 as he made it to the final in Munich at the same time as Tomoa Narasaki ended #9. Interestingly, the Slovenian says he seldom trains indoors and instead he is an outdoor allrounder doing everything also multi-pitches. In the 8a Combined ranking game, the 28 year old is #7 and he is going for Tokyo 2020. (c) Eddie Fowke

On his Instagram he reported that during the last week he did a 300 m as well as an 8c sport route. During the last weeks he has also been climbing in Céüse and competed in a DWS as well as in the Lead and Speed WC in Chamonix.

Janja Garnbret and Miho Nonaka topped all five boulders in their respectively group. Noteworthy is that Japan had six female in the Top-12 which is a new record for them and confirms their up-going trend. Complete results

Miho leads by five points ahead of Akiyo Noguchi in the overall ranking. Akiyo needs to be at worst #2 and beat Miho in order to win. Janja has only competed in two Boulder WCs in 2018 (1 - 2) and if she continues on that level she will probably be #4 overall.

Once again the Japanese dominated the boulder qualification with eight guys within Top-14 and a total of nine to the Top-20 semifinal. In the Top-10, there were only Germans and Slovenians accompanying the Japanese. Complete results

The Boulder WC in Munich is the seventh and last in the WC 2018. Jernej Kruder leads four points ahead of Tomoa Narasaki so pretty much who wins the battle, if they are Top-9, will be the overall champion.

Noteworthy is that 126 athletes competed but only one third managed to do more than one boulder. As many as 29 did a maximum of one zone. Live-streaming of semi and final 12.00 and 18.20.

"Hollywood ending!" The IFSC live-streaming commentator summarizes The Moscow Youth World Championship just after it has finished with two great Tops by Collin Duffy and Natsuki Tanii. Colin, who also won last year in a spectacular show, got four straight Tops and Natsuki did win also in Bouldering in Moscow. (c) Eddie Fowke

1. Natsuki Tanii JPN - Colin Duffy USA
2. Nika Potapova UKR - Thomas Podolan AUT
3. YueTong ZHang CHN - Kentaro Maeda JPN
Complete results

Meichi Narasaki took his second gold in Moscow in another great show where he skipped the second last hold and made a huge dyno to the last hold. Vita Lukan, bronze in boulder, won among the female with a nice and smooth style.

1. Vita Lukan SLO - Meichi Narasaki JPN
2. Nolwenn Arc FRA - Jakub Konecy CZE
3. Nina Arthaud FRA - Kai Harada JPN
Complete results (c) Eddie Fowke

The Juniors competed on the same route as the Youth A and interesting is that among the boys, the younger category had equal or better results among the Top-6 ranked.

Brooke Raboutou and Hidemasa Nishidi are the Youth A Lead World Champions. Hidemasa is the only one in Moscow who topped all four routes and he actually cruised the final route. Two weeks ago, the 15 year old was #11 in the Arco WC. Last year Brooke was #9 in a Lead WC and #10 in a Boulder WC.

1. Brooke Raboutou USA - Hidemasa Nishidi JPN
2. Futaba Ito JPN - Luka Potocar SLO
3. Sandra Lettner AUT - Katsura Konishi JPN
Complete results (c) Eddie Fowke

Interesting is that Alberto Gines, who was #7 in the last WC in Arco, was #5 and Laura Rogora was #6. The level in this category is extremely high and anybody in the final seems to also be able to be Top-15 also in the World Cup.

Isabelle Faus has done Quintessential 8B in Rocklands. © Chad Greedy In total, she has now done 47 boulders 8A+ to 8B+ and she is runner up in the female ranking game.

"Psyched! Also I did Steak House 8A+ the other day! Not a crazy hard boulder but way outta my style so I’m pretty psyched about it... Gonna try and continue my theme of classic boulders still unclimbed by women."

Fanatic-Climbing reports that Julia Chanourdie, #4 in the Lead WC last year, has done La cabane au Canada 9a in Rawyl. In total, she just needed ten tries to do her thrid 9a which Adam Ondra onsighted in 2013.

"This ascent was important for me. My international lead competition season is over and stopped early, so it was hard to fix new goals. Since my first day in Rawyl, pleasure to go climbing was back and a new goal with. I currently have no idea about the next route, but why not one step harder?”"

Daniel Jung started working on The Recovery Drink in 2012 together with Nico Favresse. Next year he was back when Nico did the FA and also in 2015 and 2017 he made long trips up to the remote Jössingfjord in Norway but no success. This year he was back and some holds broke, making it slightly harder. In the end he had to extend his trip with another four days, before taking down the possibly hardest trad route in the world. As Favresse, Daniel avoids giving a grade but what we know is that the German had to struggle at least as hard for when he did his two 9a+', La Rambla and Coruna.

Did you train specifically for doing the Recovery Drink?
After the first trip I did some stretching, I was struggling with one move, because I was too stiff. Also I set some volumes on a steep wall of our bouldering gym, Schlüsselstelle. I trained to rest in steep open handjams, that was really good to do. For my last trip, I just new that it is good to arrive with lots of power endurance. So I trained on long boulderproblems, mainly in the night, because it was too hot before 22:00. To train during the summer heat was a hard time.

What made this route so important so you did go back for three long dedicated trips?
The most important is to send my long time projecting in a beautiful place on a perfect wall. So the Jössingfjord fitted very well. Also, I was sure that I would be able to climb it. The process took a while, but why giving up when I feel close? Also I‘m very bad in giving up!

How does it compare also grade wise to the hardest sport routes you have done?
I really can’t compare the route, it’s an unique style, a totally different cup of tea compared to what I did before.

Stefano Ghisolfi has done his 17th 9a, Pure Dreaming in Arco, which Adam Ondra put up this spring. " It would be a hard 9a if Adam wouldn't find this kneebar after the first section of the route, so it is "just" 9a." (c) Sara Grippo

In the Lead World Cup, the Italian is #2 after having won one event out of four. Currently he is training hard often in Innsbruck in order to prepare for the upcoming World Championship next month.

Japan continues to dominate Bouldering in the Moscow Youth World Championship. In Youth B, they got two golds and two bronzes in great finals with almost perfect route setting were all boulders were done. Complete results (c) Eddie Fowke

1. Rei Kawamata 44 - Natsuki Tanii 34 (6)
2. Thomas Podolan 34 (4) - Naile Meignan 34 (8)
3. Nukui Ryoei 34 (5) - Hana Kudo 24

Rei, who also won last year, did his first 8B+ this summer. He has no trainer and his training is just made of my working and repeating the high class boulders at his gym.

Alex Honnold sat a new standard in climbing by free solo the 30 pitches Freerider 7c (+) in Yosemite last year. In his scorecard, including 949 ascents, he commented, "Solo! 3:56 on route. The end of an epic life dream. Such an experience. Logged it as a boulder problem - thanks 8a!"

The National Geographic documentary Free Solo is set to open on theaters September 28.

Kind of strange finals for Youth A in bouldering. A bit too easy for the boys and too hard for the girls. All three medalists among the male got almost identical results as they all did four tops in just five tries. The two best did take the four zones in five tries meanwhile the bronze guy needed five tries.

For the female, only two of the boulders were done and the winner, Laura Rogara flashed them both. (c) Eddie Fowke Complete results

1. Laura Rogora 23 - Sam Avezou 44 (5/4)
2. Lucka Rakovec 14 (4) - Eneko Carretero 44 (5/4)
3. Futaba Ito 14 (5) - Nathan Martin 44 /5/5)

Overall, Japan has been the best country in bouldering with one gold and two bronzes. The big sensation is that Austria has not had one finalists!

Hanna Slaney, who never has stood on a IFSC podium before, won the first bouldering gold in Moscow after having been #12 in the qualification and #4 in the semi. Among the boys, Meichi Narasaki, who was second last year in both Lead and Boulder, arrived on top. It was a perfect start thrilling to end with perfect route setting by Jacky Godoffe and his crew. Complete results (c) Eddie Fowke

Excellent start of the Youth World's in Moscow with great boulders on volumes and 02.30 PM GMT+3 (Euro 13.30) the junior finals in bouldering starts. Among the male, three Japaneses were ahead in the semifinal and for the female, there were two from Slovenia and one from Japan in the top.

In the Youth A category, with the finals on Sunday, two Japanese girls stood out and among the boys, Sam Avezou, who was #16 in Speed, was the only one with four tops in the semi.

Chaehyeon Seo, who last week did her first 9a, has done Wacka Flocka 8c and the two 8b+'in Rifle; Simply redlined and Zulu. In the 8a ranking game, the 14 year old is #2.

Chaehyeon's father, Jungkuk was #10 in an Ice WC in 2015 and in 2016 he did an 8b+ in Red River Gorge. Back home in Korea, he is a youth trainer in his own gym in Korea. Her mother, Chigon is also an 8a climber and has participated in some World Cups.

Maria Davies Sandbu has after 15 8A'a done her first 8A+, Steinbukken in Dirdal. (c) Martin Mobråten

"Had probably 15 sessions over the last 3 years. I learned to stay patient and try hard no matter the conditions.. I had some epics with the conditions/weather on this one, probably half of the sessions were in the rain and Martin had to dry/prep the holds while I was climbing :) one session we even tied up a tarpaulin over the boulder to try and keep it dry... eventually all the work payed off though!"