NEWS

Youth Worlds in Dallas has started
The Youth World Championship in Dallas started yesterday with the boulder qualifications, which featured tough boulder problems for the girls. The event will continue through Aug 31 but there will be no live streaming. You can follow the results in the IFSC App, "WC Series". IFSC has published a report including also some quotes from some youngsters.

In the Female Juniors, nobody topped all boulders and France got three in the Top-5. Almost 35 % of the girls did not do any top. In the Female A, Sara Copar was the only girl to top out all six problems at the same time almost 45 % did not do any boulder.

Among the Male Juniors, five boys topped out all boulders and some 20 % scored zero tops. In Male A, seven boys topped out all problems and only 12 % failed to complete a top.

Jamais Deux Sans Toit 9a+ by Loic Zehani
Loic Zehani has done the first repeat of Daniel Jung's Jamais deux sans toit (9a+) in Mollans after trying it a dozen times. The 20-year-old has done 58 routes 8c+/9a and harder which puts him as #8 on that list.

"The route starts with a not too hard approach until a big hold. Then there is the first crux with crimps and small tuffas. After this crux, there is a good knee. Then there remains a last crux on crimps and pockets in a good gray overhang. Beautiful line ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜."

Shawn Raboutou has confirmed the 9A FA rumor of Alphane we published in June. Grade-wise, Dave Graham has said, "Alphane moon is more like a two move 8B+ into a long 8C+ boulder."

Remember that rumor also said that Shawn has done the FA of yet another 9A, The Megatron project in Eldorado Canyon - A seven moves 8C low start, with zero rest, into Daniel Woods Tron 8B+ put up in 2017.

Dylan Chuat did Thor's Hammer (9a/+) in Flatanger, two weeks ago. "Waaaw, what an amazing line!!! The holds are so beautiful, the effort and the line are just amazing! Just a pity that the beginning is always wet." Marco Mรผller, a 9a+ climber, has made a great film of Dylan's ascent.

San Ku Kai 8c+ by Andrea Chelleris (13)
Andrea Chelleris, who last year did an 8c+/9a, has done San ku kai (8c+) in Entraygues. "I spent 10 days and maybe 20 tries, I thought to do it before but I had problems with the heel."

The 13-year-old did his first 8b+ at age 9 and he is also a competitive skier who last year won the Italian Championship. Last year he also did his first 8a+ onsight.

How did it go this year in your skiing and climbing competitions?
In skiing, I won a FIS Children Cup in Slovenia called Pokal loka (it's an international competition). In climbing, I won the boulder Italian championship.

Have you been close on an 8b onsight?
Yes, 2 times. I did Albaretto (8b) in 2 tries in Bosco Verde and I did Helikopter v omaki (8b) in 3 tries because I missed a heel.

Grade reflections from Bouin changing history?
Sebastien Bouin has the last month done four routes 9a+ or harder in Flatanger, including the 130m long Nordic Marathon and Adam Ondra's Change (9b+) from 2012. Three years ago he repeated Ondra's Move (9b) from 2013. (c) Marco Mรผller

Seb, who is honest and outspoken about grades, has published more reflections on Insta, giving credits to Adam who did not use knee pads doing the FAs.

"I did the First Ascent (of Nordic Marathon) during this recent trip (before sending Change). I proposed the grade 9b/+. This route is 100% my climbing style. Still, it was hard to give a grade for such a long route. So, to compare these three routes. I will take into consideration, the time, climbing style, and feelings on the process and send."

Interestingly, Seb thinks that Move is the hardest and suggests a personal upgrade to 9b+ at the same time he thinks Change was 9b/+ for him due to the use of knee pads. In other words, it might be that in the history books, La Dura dura (9b+), from 2013, will be considered the first 9b+ in the world as Adam did the FA of it six months before putting up Move.

Four 8B+ by Killian Chabrier in a week
Killian Chabrier, who one month ago did his first 9a, has been on a 19 days trip to Magic Wood where he did four 8B+.

โ€The first 13 days I did a lots of classics between 8A and 8B and tried Power of Now (8B+). I send it on my 5th session and then I decided to try other 8B+. I did really quickly Mystic Stylez (8B+) the day after and then 3 days later I sent on my 3rd session.

To finish my trip with I went on The Never Ending Story (8B+) which I tried 7 years ago and did it on my 1st session! Maybe one of my best weeks by doing 4 8B+ in 7 days! Really happy with my trip and psyche to return back in Magic to try harder ones!

Cabane au Canada 9a by Lukas Sager (17)
Lukas Sager has done Cabane au Canada (9a) in Rawyl. The 17-year-old did it in two tries after first having done La Cabane au Paradis (8c+), that shares the first seven quick draws, after five days of projecting.

โ€The first part is on an overhanging steep sandstone wall requiring a lot of power in the fingers. The second part is about endurance, you have to cope with it. Then you have to fight with the last crux.

I didn't have any problems with the jump in the final part. But just after this crux, a tricky dyno move to get in a crack resisted me for many attempts. I was trying to get my fingers inside, but it was "mission impossible" for me and my big fingers. I was a little bit disappointed so I searched for a new method. I found a really small crimp just above and l was able to climb the section but it gives me a new crux.โ€

Schubert wins the Combined gold in Munich
Jakob Schubert got 80.5 points and was tied #3 in Boulder. The Austrian was the only one to do boulder #2 but then he failed on the next easier problem. Adam Ondra won Boulder scoring 80.7 points, just 0.1 points ahead of Sam Avezou. In Lead, Schubert got 95.1 points as he dynoed to the top but could not hold the swing, giving him a total of 175.6 points. Adam Ondra was last out and it had started to rain. If the Czech would get to the same hold as Schubert controlled he would win by O.1 point. Ondra did, in fact, not need to dyno to the top. However, after a big drama, he fell touching the hold that would have given him the gold, if he had controlled it.

Alberto Gines Lopez, the Olympic champion, got the bronze with 151.7 points. Complete results

Schubert commented to IFSC: โ€ โ€œI wasnโ€™t so nervous watching Adam [Ondra] as when I fell, I knew I had silver. I was like 99% sure I would have a silver and 100% sure Adam would get really close to me. It came as a bit of a surprise that he didnโ€™t climb the top as well as me and fell before me. It doesnโ€™t happen often.

It definitely feels amazing, not because itโ€™s a medal, but because itโ€™s a gold medal. This whole event has been amazing and so has the crowd. Every round has felt like a final. I was missing a medal though. I was a bit sad with my fourth place in Lead and now Iโ€™m happy to have this memory of a medal because itโ€™s what this event deserves.โ€


It should be noted that Sam Avezou would have goten the bronze of the Olympic multiplication format was used. With the new performance based system he was #6. Furthermore, Ondra would have goten the gold.