Karoline Sinnhuber has done her 32nd 8A+, Sundance Sit in Zillertal. "Love-hate relationship with the upper part. I think this year was the first time I tried the boulder without a hurting knee. Made the heel sequence soooo much easier. Also found a new micro beta for the heel, which always popped when I went up for the long right move. "With this beta maybe only 8A?"

It should be mentioned that Sundance Sit has been recorded 35 times, and always as an 8A+, in the 8a database. Four climbers have marked it "Soft" and three "Hard". In the 8a ranking game, the Austrian is #8. (c) Paul Lewandowski

Davide Picco, who started climbing at age 19, has done Omen Nomen 9a in Arco. The 28-year-old has now done six 9a's and one 9a+, all in Arco. He explains that he is working full time as a welder and have not had time to travel that much, besides that he loves Arco and it's surroundings.

"It took me several attempts to figure out the best beta to reach the chain mostly because of the last boulder at the very top of the route. Then, once I thought I had found my way, the weather changed: it started raining and being freezing cold, I had sore skin and there was always something wrong in the universe that stopped me from giving my all. I think I fell about ten times in front of the top hold 😂but last week I was finally able put it all together. Even though it was a harsh journey I enjoyed climbing something almost (! ) vertical 😂. It was useful indeed.!

"Jp stay in K2 forever now, in the mountains, where he was the happiest man... Hope we can continue the legacy and honor this warrior of the mountain!"

Jakob Schubert has, overall during the last twelve years, been the best male competition climber in the world. In total, he has made the podium 57 times out of which 48 in Lead. In 2011, he won seven straight WCs, and in total he has won 21 times. The Austrian qualified to the Olympics by getting the Combined silver in the 2019 World Championship, where he also got the silver in Bouldering and the bronze in Lead. (c) KVÖ/Heiko Wilhelm

How do you plan your season before the Olympics?
Regarding comps I plan to do quite a few Bouldering Worldcups before the Olympics since I still feel like the comp experience helps a ton in that discipline. So probably I‘ll do all except the two in the US. Then Lead in Innsbruck and Villars and maybe Chamonix. Training is focused on Bouldering right now and probably around the end of May I‘ll switch my focus on Lead although I‘ll still try to keep my bouldering game especially trying to keep doing some comp style things closer to the Olympics. Speed I keep doing two short sessions a week all the time.

What is your PB in Speed and how do you train for this discipline?
My personal best in speed is from last year july 6,82. and I hope I can get to 6,5 until the Olympics. Focus is mainly on doing rund now and sometimes on some sequences where I feel like I can still improve my technique 😉

What is your goal for Tokyo and who are the main contenders for the medals?
My goal is of course to win a medal, preferably gold 😜 The combined format is very unpredictable even more so with today’s boulder- and routesetting, but I would say the huge favorite is Tomoa and obviously Adam is a big contender as well followed by myself 🤔 But probably almost every athlete has a chance to be on the podium especially since the bouldering wall, I think, there is only one overhang, one slab and a big vertical part, so very slabby design.

Will you do any special training for the expected heat in Tokyo?
Since our competition will be in the afternoon I think it will be bearable. But I will try to train in similar conditions sometimes and be prepared with some cooling utilities. Luckily I prefer to climb in warmer conditions anyways 😉

Staša Gejo, a close runner-up in the Moscow Euro Champ Olympic qualification, has done two 8A's in Frankenjura in just one session each: Fontain Head and Mr. Bombastic.

What are your next plans including the comp scene?
Because all projects went down too quickly. I am going to try some 8A+. Currently aiming for Backgammon in Frankenjura, but also planning to get back to my rope projects from last year, when temperatures rise.

I feel good now, mostly training for Meiringen. Hoping that other comps in spring don't get cancelled. The biggest even is the WCH in Russia in September. Trying to get outside as much as trainings and weather allow it.

Joshua Fourteau has done Akira which was put up by Fred Rouhling in 1995. The 18-year-old needed only five sessions and he confirms the 9a grade by Seb Bouin and Lucien Martinez who did the first repeats last November. "he first part is the most physical in 8b (a long 7C+ boulder) I would say until a bad rest in full roof, and the continuation is less intense in 8a (a long 7B+ boulder) until the end. " It should be noted that Joshua did follow Seb and Lucien's example to not use knee pads and, in fact, he did not even use any kneebars and few toe- or heelhooks. More info on Fanatic Climbing.

Marco Zanone has done Adam Ondra's El Potro 9a in Margalef in less than ten tries. The Italian has previously done 14 8c+'s and two 9a's. We asked Marco if he could share his story and how Covid-19 affected the trip.

"At the beginning of February, I planned a ten days trip to Spain with a couple of friends and we knew we had to take all the precautions due to covid restriction. Two days before to leave we took the covid test and once we were sure to be all negative, on the 27th of February we left for Spain. The plan was to climb at the Laboratori sector with the goal to climb First Ley (9a), a route I started trying at the end of December 2019. I felt ready to climb it but for the first time, the conditions were bad. I was trying my best but I was not able to succeed. One day the conditions felt even worse for me, so I decided to try something else. I didn't go too far and I chose to try "El Potro".

Since the first try, I felt good on the moves because the style suited me very well. Big moves and big pinches on a power resistant route. I tried for two other days, on and off with "First Ley", which was still my main project, and I eventually sent it on the last day of the trip. It felt like a soft 9a to me, but I also know that when I climbed Bumaye (8c+) in 2017, I'm quite sure I would not have been able to do the crux boulder of El Potro, so maybe it makes sense to call it 9a. Hopefully, it will get more attention in the near future, the route is rad!"

Featuring Giuliano Cameroni, Daisuke Ichimiya, Clément Lechaptois, Marine Thevenet and Diego Cameroni doing "New King Lines" in Cresciano up to 8C.

Tom Bolger reports on Insta that he has done the FA of Mr Big 9a in Margalef, saying it is "probably the best route I’ve ever bolted." (c) Esteban Lahoz

Please describe the route and why it is so good?
It is an independent route, over 25m long and probably 35 degrees in the steepest section. The route has a great flow! It is very continuous with two distinct jump moves, and with only one rest on the whole route forcing the climber to move efficiently and quickly, so the climbing flows beautifully :)

Earlier this year, Tom has done two 9a/+ FAs also in Margalef where he lives since a couple of years. Previously he has told 8a that the reason for him sending more projects is that due to Covid-19, he has travelled less back to the U.K. where he works with rope access. Currently, he is studying to become a climbing guide in Spain.