8B by Ashima Shiraishi (10)

Obe Carrion reports at Facebook that Ashima Shiraishi, who turns 11 in a couple of weeks, has done Crown of Aragorn, 8B in Hueco Tanks. Only a handful female has previously done 8B and it should be noted that the classical boulder that was set up by Fred Nicole 1996 has never been subject of down grading. Ashima has done several 8A's before, the first one being 9 years old. During the last few years we have seen an extreme progress by youngsters challenging the best in the world showing that climbing is unique when it comes to performances and age. Ashima has now set a new standard and is probably the first 9 year old, in any sport, that perform equal to the best. (c) Jason Kehl