A record number of 241 athletes are scheduled to compete in the seventh and last stage of the Boulder World Cup 2016, which can be compared with 210 last year. By checking the overall standings, not counting the worst result, we already now that Shauna Coxsey has secured the overall title. Among the male, Alexey can still win if he wins the last event, Narasaki is #7 or worse and and Fujii is #5 or worse. 1. Shauna Coxsey 480 GBR - Tomoa Narasaki 362 JPN 2. Miho Nonaka 346 JPN - Kokoro Fujii 355 JPN 3. Melissa Le Neve 313 FRA - Alexey Rubtsov 307 RUS 4. Akiyo Noguchi 259 JPN - Rustam Gelmanov 267 RUS 5. Monika Retschy 229 GER - Jongwon Chon 264 KOR

From the qualification we can see that Alban Levier, Alexey Rubtsov, Shauna Coxsey, Melissa Le Neve, Evgeniya Lapshina, Clementine Kaiser and Miho Nonaka onsighted all five problems. Some high ranked, such as Monika Retschy, Tsukuru Hori, Jan Hojer and Rustam Gelmanov, failed to qualify to the Top-20. (c) Eddie Fowke The record number of participants made the male isolation open at 6.30 and close at 7.30. The first guy out started at 8.00 meanwhile the last one out had to spend more than six hours in iso before competing. Live streaming starts at 11.30 GMT+2. The finals start at 18.30.

Jan hojer and Michaela Kiersch have won the 2016 Psiobloc masters, where 16 male and female battled head to head. In fact, both Jan and Michaela won first the qualification and then took down all opponents on the 8a respectively 8b routes and in the final; it was like two photo finishes on the 17 meter wall. It is interesting that Jan was #2 in the Boulder World Cup last year and the runner-up, Nathaniel Coleman, was #4. Michaela did an 8b+ on her second go just few days after her victory. In the 4 hours video there were also some Olympic discussions. (c) Steve Rokks

After talking to some of the best Speed climbers in the world, you understand that these guys are real professionals and dedicated athletes. Running up 15 meters sub 6 seconds cannot be reached in 2020 for the current best Lead and Boulder World Cup climbers. Most of top male Lead or Boulder World Cup competitors will probably reach 10 seconds after some weeks starting to get the sequence right. Without any specifically explosive or lower body training, the most talented will go sub 9 seconds once the sequence has been optimized to perfection. Sean McColl, who has continuously competed in Speed for some 15 years, including gaining gold in Youth World Championship, is normally doing mid eight seconds. The Canadian can also be said to have a similar physics to the best Speed climbers. In order to go below eight seconds, you probably need to do specific physical training for a year and also do many competitions, which would get you to understanding how to deal with the mental pressure. To get below 7 seconds in Tokyo 2020 you need to focus half of your training on Speed as well as gaining some weight in the whole body. Thus you will also have to deal with the mental pressure that your standard in Lead and Boulder will deteriorate and you will have to climb outdoors less. To get below 6.5 seconds will only be possible for the very talented ones who would mainly focus on Speed until Tokyo. This means that you will go at least 10 000 times full on, on the 15 meters 6a+ Speed wall. It should be added that Libor Hroza, currently #2 in the Speed World Cup, after reading the draft of the article, said: - It looks good. I totally agree with climbing less outdoor, for those who will go to Olympics there won't be too much time for rocks. Rocks will be just an award when season is done. You have to look at climbing in the Olympics as a competitive sport, without typical lifestyle climbing thinking. The sport is way too far from rock climbing and it will go even further because of the Olympics.

Laura Rogora, who did her first 9a this spring being 14 years old, has done a fast ascent of the classic Wallstreet 8c in Frankenjura. As a preparation, she competed in the European Bouldering Championship last weekend and was #2. - I can't believe it!!!! On my second day here Frankenjura, despite the rain, I was able to send my little project: Wallstreet 8c in only 6 tries. Climbing this historical and beautiful line was amazing!

Mathieu Bouyoud has done a FA extension of Big Bang in La Balme after six weeks of effort. It is the 9th route of the 9th grade at the crag and it is completely natural. Source: Fanatic Climbing

BJ Tilden has done his second 9a FA, Mutation in Wild Iris. "This monster climbs the whole rodeo wave from right to left. A grand total of 80 moves on perfect stone." Previously the 36-year-old has done nine 8c+'s, five out of which are FAs.

Erik Grandelius, who previously has done two 8c+'s and an 8c (+) FA in Flatanger, has done the second ascent of Adam Ondra's Witchhammer 9a in Flatanger. /c) Erik Massih "I needed some three weeks to do Witchhammer which can be compared with three days for my last 9a. After one week I fell at the last crux but later I did worse as I got worn out doing too many tries on the steep route. Even if I climbed pretty fast in between the good rests, it took 30 - 40 minutes. After a second depressive week I left Flatanger and returned two weeks later with a new strategy to just go for one push every other day. After some days with 30 degrees I did it on the first day with good condition in poring rain. Overall it was a rather painfull but instructive process but I can not understand guys who likes trying a route for more than a week in a row."

Nico Pelorson FRA - Stasa Gejo SRB Filip Schenk ITA - Giorgia Tesio ITA Sam Avezou FRA - Celina Schoibl AUT Overall, France was the most successful country followed by Italy. Surprisingly poor result for Germany, Russia and Spain. Interesting is that when it comes to outdoors, at least, the four older winner are mainly climbing routes.