Melissa Le Nevé, bývalá úspešná pretekárka svetového pohára (minulý rok skončila na treťom mieste), oznámila na svojom Instagrame prelez svojho prvého 8B+, Mécanique Élémentaire vo Fontainebleau. (c) Fabian Buhl "Dnes sa mi podarilo preliezť môj papierovo najťažší boulder, ktorý bol výzvou hlavne kvôli dlhým krokom a po psychickej stránke! Po niekoľkých pádoch v poslednom kroku som sa konečne mohla postaviť na vrchol "Mecanique Elementaire" 8b+."

Melissa Le Neve, who retired from the WC scene last year being #3 overall, prepared for the CWIF 2017 by doing her first 8B+ in Fontainebleau. That worked out pretty nice as she was the only competitor to flash three problems. So why not go to Font again and try the first WC in Switzerland in three weeks? Alex Megos, who won CWIF also in 2015, has been climbing just easy the last two months due to an inflammation. Three days ago, the German said on Instagram, "I'll be at the CWIF again this weekend but unfortunately won't be able to compete due to a finger injury." He tried anyhow but after the semi he wrote, "Will see if I'll be able to climb tomorrow in semis. Depends how much my finger will be swollen..." In the semi, he did not make good progress on the first three boulders but managed to do the last slab. In the final it was actually the same story again but this time the slab was the third boulder. Runner-ups were Petra Klingler and Jongwon Chon and thirds were Michaela Tracy and Michael Piccolruaz. (c) Eddie Fowke

Melissa Le Neve opustila okruh svetového pohára minulý rok ako bronzová a na CWIF sa pripravila prelezom jej prvého 8B+ vo Fontainebleau. Zdá sa, že to bolo veľmi dobré, keďže bola jedinou pretekárou, ktorá flashla tri bouldre. Prečo teda neskúsiť ísť do Fontáča a o tri týždne sa zúčastniť prvého kola svetového pohára vo Švajčiarsku? Víťaz CWIF 2015, Alex Megos, liezol posledné dva mesiace zľahka kvôli zápalu. Pred tromi dňami na Instagrame povedal: "Tento týždeň budem na CWIF, ale nanešťastie nemôžem kvôli zraneniu prsta súťažiť." Napriek tomu to vyskúšal a po kvalifikácii napísal: "Uvidíme, či budem môcť zajtra v semifinále liezť. Záleží na tom, ako moc mi napuchne prst..." V semifinále sa mu v prvých troch bouldroch moc nedarilo, no vyliezol posledný položený problém, a podobne tomu bolo aj vo finále, kde bol položený tretí boulder, a nakoniec súťaž vyhral. Druhí boli Petra Klingler a Jongwon Chon, tretí Michaela Tracy a Michael Piccolruaz. (c) Eddie Fowke

Matty Hong, who just did La Rambla 9a+, reports on Instagram that he has done another one, Joe Kinder's Joe Mama in Oliana. He did his first 9a+, Papichulo, one year ago. He also did 25 routes 8b+ and harder in 2016 and received the Sport Climbing Piton from Climbing. How many sessions did it take and how can you best explain your step up in grades? It took me 5 days of work. I've been climbing more than ever this past year, I think just being able to spend more time outdoors has really helped my climbing and motivation. Finishing school was a big part of this.