During the Combined Speed Final there are 12 races out of which the battle of the #7 position has the least impact, i.e. a factor 1.14 difference in your overall score. This can be compared to the final battle in between #1 position where the difference is 2. During the first round where you are decided to become 1 - 4 or 5 - 8 the average result is 2.5 verses 6.5, i.e. 2.6 factor difference. One example of this is the race in between Futaba Ito, #2 in the qualification and Shauna Coxey #7. Futaba was ahead until she slipped and Coxsey was the lucky winner. In all other rounds, Futaba was much quicker compared to Coxsey, however Futaba ended #5 and Shauna #2, i.e. 2.5 difference in the multiplication format. It is kind of strange that when the Ai Mori and Akiyo Noguchi were about the battle of the #7 position, the commentators marketed it to have "massive impact of the rankings" at the same time this superlative was not used for any other of the 12 races. The commentators said that if you made a false start in any of the rounds but the last run, you would end up as #8. This should not be true but if it is, the rule must be changed.

The big sensation in the Speed was that Shauna Coxsey was second and being third in Boulder she is currently #1. "Incredible unexpected" was Shauna's first word in IFSC mini-interview. 1. Shauna Coxsey 2 - 3 = 6 2. Akiyo Noguchi 7 - 1 = 7 3. Aleksandra Miroslaw 1 - 8 = 8 4. Janja Garnbret 6 - 2 = 12 5. Miho Nonaka 4 - 4 = 16 6. Petra Klingler 3- 7 = 21 7. Futaba Ito 5 - 6 = 30 8. Ai Mori 8 - 5 = 40 Unfortunately, the route setters made a big mistake again and on the third and last boulder nobody were not super close to secure the zone. As a matter of a fact, most did actually struggle to move of the ground and only few times we saw the first big mantle move being done. In total, there were almost 45 minutes with just minimal action including also the Speed specialist trying to do the first move on boulder 2. It should be mentioned that the two first boulders were perfect with plenty of action separating all climbers. As it stands, if we assume that Janja will win Lead, she will win at 12 points. In theory, all the others can get on the podium excluding Aleksandra who realistically needs some miracle like disqualification etc.

Janja Garnbret is the Hachioji Combined World Champion after topping out the Lead route faster than Ai Mori. Also Akiyo Noguchi touched the top but could not hold it meaning she lost the title as she had climbed faster than Janja. Third was Shauna Coxsey who has become also one of the best route climbers in the world. Repeating Adam Ondra's mistake standing on a bolt, Coxsey dropped from fourth to seventh in Lead which in practice did not change her overall score. Fourth was Speed specialist Aleksandra Miroslaw who understandably was dead last in both Boulder and Lead. It should be mentioned that it is most likely that also during the Olympics, she or another Speed specialist will be fourth although being dead last in both Boulder and Speed. (c) Vladek Zumr 1. Janja Garnbret 6 - 2 - 1 = 12 2. Akiyo Noguchi 7 - 1 - 3 = 21 3. Shauna Coxsey 2 - 3 - 7 = 42 4. Aleksandra Miroslaw 1 - 8 - 8 = 64 5. Miho Nonaka 4 - 4 - 5 = 80 6. Ai Mori 8 - 5 - 2 = 80 7. Futaba Ito 5 - 6 - 4 = 120 8. Petra Klingler 3 - 7 - 6 = 126 Complete results

Based on the Olympic selection rules, Akiyo Noguchi will be Japan's selection. "The seven (7) highest placed athletes per gender at the World Championships will be allocated one (1) quota place, respecting the maximum quota per gender per NOC." The quota place is allocated to the athlete(s) by name. For some reason the commentators think that Japan could select another female just because they also were among the Top-7. However, as Akiyo is the "highest" ranked Japanese, then the runner-up can not be chosen as Japan has only only max quota gender per quota. Further more, Japan has one host spot meaning that they can pick anyone they want.

As has been said before, two zones would create a better Boulder competition during the Olympics and Hachioji just confirms this. 1. The Speed specialists performances are understandably very weak. However, it becomes almost embarrassing when they have problems moving from the start hold and are a miles from even getting close to get a zone. As there will most likely be at least two male and two female Speed climbers in Tokyo scoring zero, surely they as well as the spectators would very much benefit from a second zone. 2. As there is just three boulders in the Combined final, it is very hard to separate the remaining seven climbers especially as we can see that the route setters are having a greater time finding the right level. 3. Ai Mori performed the best on the over-cooked boulder but did not score anything for that. If she would have gotten an extra zone for this, she had moved from #5 to #2 in bouldering and from #6 to the bronze

Very exciting finish in the Combined Lead qualifications where actually Shauna Coxsey finished #3 and won overall. The big surprises were that Janja Garnbret was #8 in Lead. Winner in Lead was Ai Mori topping out in great style meaning she also got her a spot, including three other Japaneses, to the final although being #18 and #16 in Speed and Boulder. The Top-7 are qualified to the Olympics but as only one from Japan will be selected from the WCH, also #9 Brooke Raboutou and #9 Jessica Pilz made it through. (It should be said that the commentators said that only Brooke got a ticket as they said that two from Japan will be selected from the WCH. This is not correct according to the official qualification information.) It should also be mentioned that if Brooke and Jessica had been climbing faster they would have made it to the Top-8 which had kicked out Miho Nonaka from the final. 1. Shauna Coxsey 14 - 1 - 3 = 42 2. Akiyo Noguchi 10 - 4 - 2 = 80 3. Janja Garnbret 7 - 2 - 8 = 112 4. Petra Klingler 8 - 3 - 12 = 288 5. Ai Mori 18 - 16 - 1 = 288 6. Futaba Ito 4 - 5 - 15 = 300 7. Aleksandra Miroslaw 1 - 19 - 20 = 390 8. Miho Nonaka 5 - 6 - 14 = 420

Rishat Kaibullin, who set a personal best being #7 in Speed last week, slipped as he went for the buzzer and hit the wall like 30 cm below the electronic device which anyhow recorded 6.075. The Kazakhstan understood he failed so he went up again and hit it like one second later. It was decided that this was a technical incident and five minutes later he run again and set a personal best at 5.863. Then the big pressure was on the Speed World Champion Ludovico Fossali, who executed but was 0.026 slower. It should be mentioned that also during the standard Speed event, Rishat was super lucky as he was #7 at 7.013 just because his opponent, Bassa Mawem the World Cup leader, did fall. At the same time, Fossali was even more lucky becomming the World Champion as in all his four runs, his opponents did either fall or make a false start. The twist of the whole story is that even if Rishat, #34 ranked in the Speed World Cup, is dead last in both Boulder and Lead he will most likely get an Olympic ticket as he luckily won Speed. On the other hand, being #23 as a personal best in a Bouldering WC and #41 last week, he is possibly the most overall talented climber among the best Speed climbers.

1. Tomoa Narasaki 4 - 4 = 16 2. Alex Megos 17 - 1 = 17 (c) Vladek Zumr 2. Rishat Khaibullin 1 - 17 = 17 4. Kai Harada 6 - 3 = 18 5. Mickael Mawem 3 - 8 = 24 6. Jakob Schubert 15 - 2 = 30 7. Kokoro Fujii 5 - 7 = 35 8. Ludovico Fossali 2 - 20 = 40 8. Meichi Narasaki 8 - 5 = 40 10. Mickael Piccolruaz 7 - 13 = 91 11. Jernej Kruder 13 - 9 = 117 12. Adam Ondra 20 - 6 = 120 12. Nathaniel Coleman 10 - 12 = 120 14. Keita Dohi 11 - 11 = 121 15. Jongwon Chon 9 - 16 = 144 16. Jan Jojer 19 - 10 = 190 17. Rudolph Ruana 12 - 18 = 216 18. Yannick Flohe 16 - 14 = 224 19. Stefano Ghisolfi 14 - 19 = 266 20. Sean McColl 18 - 15 = 270 As we would expect the Top-8 cut will be around 400; probably the current Top-7 plus Adam Ondra will move to the final round. As it looks like we will have at least three from Japan Top-8, also #9 will probably make it through to Tokyo. This is a total open affair where also Ghisolfi and McColl is still in the running if any of them win and other results goes their way. If we get four from Japan Top-10, in theory even Fossali could make it although getting dead last also in Lead.

Big drama in the end of the Lead. Adam Ondra needed to be at least #3 to guarantee a place in the Top-8 Combined final. He put on cruise control but suddenly, looking very strong, a foot slipped and he was #3 before last man out Tomoa Narasaki. He also looked very strong but suddenly he fell so Adam was in. Then the commentators said there was a technical bolt-standing incident with Adam who was put down to #18 and 23 as his score. Later on the IFSC page his score was changed into 10 and on the picture you see the incident. Most probably there will be an appeal as you only get marked down if you can have made use of the bolt. Just a touch of the bolt that does not help you is normally ok. So the big question is if Ondra weighted the bolt?