Allison Vest has started her trip to Rocklands by doing Bitch! (8B), "Cooked up a new recycle beta with a high toe hook to avoid the big bump. Totally my style, it may be in a hole but it climbs super well." and The Master Key (8B), "Did the gross matchy way, really liked this boulder a lot."
"Glad I started my trip off with a couple of 8B's because the last few weeks my skin has been sore and the boulders have not been cooperating as well… All part of the game but this trip has been lots of learning. Tactics, patience, and trying to be more confident. So happy to be here for my first trip! Wouldn’t have been possible without Frances and Billy and their headlamps :)"

In the 8a ranking game, Allison is #3 having done six 8B's during the last 12 months.

Camille Pouget, who was #6 in the Briancon World Cup in July, has done Hot Chili-X (8c) in Gorges du Loup. "Really nice route! Not so natural, with many carved holds but every move is interesting. I'm so happy to top this classic line of strong's endurance just after Leo [Tubiana] who topped the day just before. Thanks to him for the demo and the betas 🙌 I think it could be flashed by stronger climbers if you can catch a local who gives you the beta ( as already done by the monster Tanguy Merard 💪)."

Clothilde Morin has done Dulcifer (8A) in Schöllenen and Sofa Surfer (8A+) in Magic Wood.

"I think Sofa Surfer is the most difficult boulder I did so far. I did it in four sessions. It was a bit frustrating because I had climbed a lot before, and at the end of session #3 I felt so close, but too exhausted to do it. "

Jakob Schubert won the Boulder & Lead gold in Bern in a relatively comfortable style. He was second in Boulder, just one attempt and 0.1 points behind Tomoa Narasaki, who got the overall bronze. Then in Lead, the Austrian won getting 8 points more than Colin Duffy, who was second overall after being fourth in Boulder. (c) Lena Drapella/IFSC

Sorato Anraku was fourth just seven points behind his teammate. If he had topped the route he would have won the overall, so the suspense was nail biting.

Quotes from IFSC
Jakob Schubert (AUT) – men’s Boulder & Lead gold medallist - PARIS 2024 QUALIFIED
“I don’t know. It’s so crazy. It kind of feels like the Lead, it all went so fast. Today was a big day, obviously I knew I had to do really well in Boulder to have a chance for that Olympic ticket and the Boulder round couldn’t have gone any better for me I think. My dream was to go into the Lead with a lead and then keep my nerves under control, and I think I did a really good job of doing that in the Lead route.

I don’t think I actually realise what it means yet. Feels like there hasn’t been much time to think about it. I was watching the action and really hoping Sorato [Anraku] could show what he could do because he is such a good climber. I feel like he is the best combined climber right now, I had my day today, but we are definitely going to see him at the Olympics. For an older climber like me, now I can just focus and prepare for the Olympics, calm down a bit and now not do all the comps next year because I’m getting tired doing a lot of comps. So this has worked out perfectly.”

Colin Duffy (USA) – men’s Boulder & Lead silver medallist - PARIS 2024 QUALIFIED
“It felt amazing. I was just honoured to be on the stage in the World Championships Boulder & Lead final. This is the most difficult and proud final I have ever made. I just wanted to go into today, enjoy my climbing and not care about the result. I was able to enjoy every second on the wall in the Boulder and stayed calm in the Lead route and I’m very happy to be standing here with another Olympic spot.”

Narasaki Tomoa (JPN) – men’s Boulder & Lead bronze medallist - PARIS 2024 QUALIFIED
“At first, I felt pressure, but I’ve been training, training, training and I believed in myself. My wife Akiyo [Noguchi] is here, I think she felt more pressure than me but I’m so happy to get the Olympic ticket in front of her.”

1. Jakob Schubert AUT 99.6 + 84 = 183.6
2. Colin Duffy USA 84.7 + 76 = 160.7
3. Tomoa Narasaki JPN 99.7 + 57 = 156.7
4. Sorato Anraku JPN 85 + 64.1 = 149.1
5. Toby Roberts GBR 79.3 + 64.1 = 143.4
6. Adam Ondra CZE 84.1 + 57.1 = 141.2
7. Dohyun Lee KOR 70 + 57.1 = 127.1
8. Paul Jenft FRA 69.8 + 33 = 102.8

"Alexander Megos sits down with Dr. Volker Schöffl, a respected figure in the climbing and medical communities. In this candid and thought-provoking interview titled 'Climbing Has a Problem! Real Talk with Volker Schöffl,' Megos delves deep into the critical issue of eating disorders and their impact on athletes in the climbing world. Dr. Schöffl, an expert in sports medicine, sheds light on his decision to resign from the IFSC's Medical Commission due to their inadequate response to the RED-S syndrome (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport)."

It was an outstanding show once more in Bern with Janja Garnbret (SLO) winning the Boulder & Lead World Championships and securing a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The runner-up was Jessica Pilz (AUT) followed by Ai Mori (JPN), who both were awarded Olympic tickets. Brooke Raboutou got the unlucky fourth position, only 3 points from the podium and the bye to Paris, meaning that if she had made one more move or if Mori had fallen one move earlier, their results had been the opposite. Complete routes

The route setting was excellent in both the Boulder as well as in the Lead round and the point scoring system worked perfectly, creating an amazing show together with an enthusiastic crowd. Overall, this was a great success for competition climbing and the IFSC. (c) Jan Virt/IFSC

1. Janja Garnbret SLO 84.9 + 92.1 = 177.0
2. Jessica Pilz AUT 69 + 88.1 = 157.1
3. Ai Mori JPN 44.5 + 96.1 = 140.6
4. Brooke Raboutou 69.8 + 69 = 137.8
5. Jain Kim KOR 14.1 + 92.1 = 106.2
6. Oriane Bertone FRA 54.7 + 39.1 = 93.8
7. Miho Nonaka JPN 54.4 + 39.1 = 93.5
8. Anastasia Sanders USA 24.6 + 45.1 = 69.7

IFSC quotes
Janja Garnbret (SLO) – women’s Boulder & Lead gold medallist - PARIS 2024 QUALIFIED
“I feel incredible and relieved at the same time. It feels so amazing today. I felt so composed today actually, I was climbing the Lead route flawlessly and I am just incredibly happy right now that I have qualified, even though I have qualified once before, you don’t get tired of this feeling of qualifying for an Olympics. So, my second Olympics – here we go.”

Jessica Pilz (AUT) – women’s Boulder & Lead silver medallist - PARIS 2024 QUALIFIED
“I knew my Boulder round was kind of good but it was all still open until the end. I knew I had to give my all for the Lead route and do my best. I wasn’t sure when I fell if it would be enough, but then my coaches signalled to me that it was, but I couldn’t really believe it and I really wanted to wait until the end until it was safe. It still feels surreal.”

Mori Ai (JPN) – women’s Boulder & Lead bronze medallist - PARIS 2024 QUALIFIED
“I was nervous but when I climb I get excited. I wanted to reach the top, but getting the Olympic ticket makes me very happy.”

Hugo Parmentier, who May 14th sent 100 7A boulders in Fontainebleau, has in only eight climbing days done Super Finale (9a), Massala tea (9a) and Hyper Finale (9a+) in Rawyl.

"I discovered the crag right after the French Championships [where he finished #5] and then did three small trips in between training in Annecy and bouldering in Fionnay with Clem Lechaptois and Marine Thevenet. It was a long adaption to the massive endurance routes of Super and Hyper finale. Especially having trained the power endurance for the comps. So Super Finale took me a lot. Then the boulder problem of Hyper Finale was hard to understand but then when it was well executed and I had trained endurance of Super Finale the whole route felt doable. I think I was recovering from the Fontainebleau project as well during the trip. Massala Tea is a power endurance test piece on small crimps. My complete style. It felt pretty hard even though it took me fewer tries than Super."

What is your next plan?
I hope to return to Fondation’s Edge in Fionnay with Clem and Marine. I’ll go to «Histoire sans fin » 8b+ multipitch (Petit clochet du Portalet, Mont Blanc area) with Symon Welfringer) And I have some business in La Ramirole but I don’t know how long and if I’ll be able to go there and hopefully climb my project. (c) Arkose Climbing