Megos & Le Neve win CWIF through rock climbing preparation

Melissa Le Neve, who retired from the WC scene last year being #3 overall, prepared for the CWIF 2017 by doing her first 8B+ in Fontainebleau. That worked out pretty nice as she was the only competitor to flash three problems. So why not go to Font again and try the first WC in Switzerland in three weeks? Alex Megos, who won CWIF also in 2015, has been climbing just easy the last two months due to an inflammation. Three days ago, the German said on Instagram, "I'll be at the CWIF again this weekend but unfortunately won't be able to compete due to a finger injury." He tried anyhow but after the semi he wrote, "Will see if I'll be able to climb tomorrow in semis. Depends how much my finger will be swollen..." In the semi, he did not make good progress on the first three boulders but managed to do the last slab. In the final it was actually the same story again but this time the slab was the third boulder. Runner-ups were Petra Klingler and Jongwon Chon and thirds were Michaela Tracy and Michael Piccolruaz. (c) Eddie Fowke