Drew Ruana, #13 in the Combined World Championship, reports on Insta that he has had an amazing day in Joe's Valley having done three 8B's and James Litz's The Insurgency 8B+/C in Joe's Valley. (c) Brennan Robinson In one week, Drew is flying to Japan for the last two World Cups and he has a great chance making it to Toulouse. His answers on the subject are interesting showing he is walking on that fine line. - What is your next ambition and how will you reach it? - Climb more 8B+'s so I'll just train more. - Is not your main ambition the Olympics? - It is but I need to do some outdoors right now. Keep the psyche. The more I train inside the worse I feel because I get less psyched. So going outside is good. - How many Speed sessions before Japan? - A few more. - Good luck with both the 8B+' as well as the Olympics :)

Here is the IFSC competition schedule for 2020 which has been adjusted to fit the Olympics in Sport Climbing between 4 - 8 of August. Most certain, the World Cup 2020 will be a unique opportunity, for the guys not making it to Tokyo, to get a very good result. It can be expected that none of the Olympic athletes will participate in all World Cup. Any European coach could tell their athletes to skip all outside Europe. On the other hand, all 20 males and females will probably go to Innsbruck, Villars and Chamonix to prepare for Tokyo. The competition with the least of the best present will most likely be Vail in the USA, as it also was this year. Combined Championship - Olympic qually 24/02 Pan-American CH 19/03 African CH 20/03 European CH - Moscow 27/03 Ocean CH 27/04 Asia CH World Cup 2020 03/04 Meiringen - Boulder 17/14 Wujiang - Boulder & Speed 08/05 Seul - Boulder & Speed 23/05 Munich - Boulder 12/06 Vail - Boulder & Speed 25/06 Innsbruck - Boulder & Lead 02/07 Villars - Lead & Speed 11/07 Chamonix - Lead & Speed 18/07 Briancon - Lead 09/10 Xiamen - Lead & Speed

Loic Zehani reports on Insta that he has done a harder exit to a 9a+ in Orgon he did two months ago calling it Obsession 9b. "I needed 25 more tries for sending a harder exit, quite more resistant. It was an “Obsession” after falling 12 times in a move where I was falling only one time when I climbed “Le Poisson pilot”. You need to climb all the integral version of “Le Poisson pilote” then you traverse on the right and you finish with the end of “Mollahs du mollard” in a very resistant effort. 37 hard moves and a nice 6c/7a for the end. After reflexion, I propose 9b for this one. It’s a 9a+ into an 8b+ with a bad rest between. I would like some climbers will come and try the line despite some of the holds that are drilled (less than 10 on 37 hard moves). It’s not bad compared to Orgon’s other sector, Canal.

Davide Picco has done another 9a in Arco, Under Vibes and the day after he did anonther connection, L'ultima Reini 8c+. (c) Luca Rigo "My girlfriend is trying a project in that crag so I needed to find something for myself to optimize time. Having clipped the chain of every logical line I started connecting the routes that I loved the most. The route puts together the first crux of underground with Reini's vibes (all of it), it is a tiring mix of power and endurance with more than a hundred moves.

Adam Ondra, who has won three Lead World Championships, won his first European title after he has been runner-up three times. Alberto Gines Lopez (16), who took the bronze in the Youth WCH in Arco, followed up his sensational bronze in the Kranj World Cup last week by taking the silver. Alex Megos and Stefano Ghisolfi did not participate. Among the female, with Janja Garnbret absent, Slovenia had four Top-11, with Lucka Rakovec (18) winning. Laura Rogora (18), who won three golds in the Arco WCH, got her best ever result in the senior category with a silver. Lucy Douady (15), #3 in Arco, finished the teenager podium. 1. Adam Ondra CZE - Lucka Rakovec SLO (c) Luka Fonda 2. Alberto Gines Lopez ESP - Laura Rogora ITA 3. Sascha Lehmann SUI - Luce Douady FRA Complete results

Anak Verhoeven and Sasha Lehmann won the qualification in the European Championship. Janja Garnbret did not participate and anyhow four from Slovenia in the Top-14. Only 38 women and 45 male competed. Updated results from the qualification in Edinburgh.

Paige Claassen, who was #14 in the Bouldering World Championship in 2007, reports on Insta that she has done her first 9a, Shadowboxing in Rifle. I tried shadowboxing around 12 times, over 6 weeks. I would normally only try once a day, because the route is always in the sun, so the window of opportunity is short. I've really focused on improving my power over the last few years, as that's almost always what holds me back. The technical feet on shadowboxing suited me, but so many underclings in a row meant I really had to work on my bicep power.” In November she goes to Namibia to work on her farms and her Education Fund. ”I run a nonprofit organization called Southern Africs Education Fund. We build classrooms in rural Namibia for a school serving 800 children in a space built for 350 children. SAEF added 4 classrooms to the school in December 2018, and we are building another 4 classrooms in November of 2019. Over half the kids at the school are on the orphans and vulnerable children list, meaning their families cannot afford their basic needs. Education is their path out of poverty.

Rei kawamata, #5 in both the Moscow WC as well as in the Youth CH, has done Hydra 8B (+) in Shiobara. Last year he did his first 8B+ there being just 14 years old.

Laura Rogora, who won three golds in the Youth WCH last month, reports on her Insta that she has onsighted Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno L3 8a+/b and Rondini 8b. (c) Andrea Donato This weekend the 18-year-old is in Edinburgh for the European Lead Champion trying to beat her #6 position she got two years ago. Then back for the last two WC comps trying to maintain her position overall to get the chance qualifying to the Olympics in Toulouse. Whem it comes to outdoors, the Italian has been Top-5 in the world the last three years including also six routes 8c+/9a or harder.

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