Adam Ondra took a break from competitions after the Olympics in Tokyo last August, where he was #6. Part of the reason was to restore energy before the Olympic qualifications start in 2023 and also as his wife Iva, #25 in the WCH in 2019, gave birth to Hugo at the beginning of May. During the last ten months, the 29-year-old has redpointed 20 routes 9a to 9b and onsighted ten routes 8b+ to8c+. The only IFSC comps he has done in 2022 were the European Bouldering Cup in Prague in 1/5 and the Chamonix Lead World Cup, winning both.

How much and How did you prepare for the Chamonix World Cup?

I took a break when Hugo was born to have more time to really enjoy those special moments. After 3 weeks I got slowly back into it and I reckoned that Chamonix would be good timing to get back into shape. So it was around 5 weeks. Training for lead comps is the most enjoyable for me as it includes bouldering on spraywall, occasional bouldering at my home crag when the weather is good, doing circuits on my home wall and climbing on the lead wall in Brno. Pretty much similar preparation like for outdoor sport climbing projects. Carrying Hugo around the home is a great active recovery:-) I went on the rock a few times when there were some colder days in Slovakia to Krpcovo (3h away) and Derava skala (1h20min away). Both crags have quite a bit of potential and I will definitely be back. It was a wonderful time as long as I don't have to train for speed and I can enjoy my time with my wonderful family.

What are your competition and rock plans for 2022?
I am planning to do European Championships in Munich and then only rock climbing until spring next year. Quite a few projects in my mind around Europe and hopefully we will be able to travel around as the whole family with Iva and Hugo.

Eleven males and twelve females participated in the World Games in Birmingham, USA. Kokoro Fujii and Mao Nakamura won the semifinals. Into the finals, Nicolas Collin started first and did all four problems in just six tries winning over Kokoro needing eight attempts. Among the females, Miho Nonaka was the only one doing three boulders.

1. Nicolas Collins BEL 44 (6) - Miho Nonaka JPN 34
2. Kokoro Fujii JPN 44 (8) - Katja Debevec SLO 24 (3)
3. Yoshiyuki Ogata JPN 34 - Mao Nakamura JPN 24 (5)

It should be mentioned that several athletes like Natalia Grossman and Adam Ondra, who had qualified to the World Games, did choose to not participate. Furthermore, the quota included max two athletes per nation and gender.

Matteo Soule has done the FA of Sonawolf (9a) in La verrière. The 15-year-old did his first 9a this spring. At age 13, he did the FA of Dieu Merci in Gorges du Tarn. It is still unrepeated and nowadays listed as an 8c+/9a. (c) Sam Bié

Christian Mercene has done Andy Raether's Manphibian (9a) in Mt. Charleston. "I started putting in work on Manphibian this season after I sent the first section (Spyfiction 5.14c) last year. After about 13 days of consistent and steady progress and punting on the last hard move twice, I was able to finally send!" (c) Matt Levy

Did you do any specific or replica training?
I followed a power endurance work out called the 30/30s that I got after listening to Joe Kinder on the Nugget climbing podcast. I chose 6 boulder problems that feel consistent with the moves of Manphibian. The workout would consists of 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest 6 boulders in a row. After each week I would decrease the rest time between reps. On my second day I would train on a spray wall replica that mimicked the intensity and time under tension/ rest of Manphibian.

Sebastien BOUIN has done the first repeat of Adam Ondra’s, from 2013, Iron Curtain (9b) in Flatanger. The 29-year-old has published the full story on Insta, saying that due to his use of kneepads his personal grade is 9a+. The French has previously done seven routes 9b to 9c. (c) Marco Müller

"This year, I decided to return to Flatanger, without any real fixed objectives. I’m leaving myself open, and I will try what inspires me. So I started with Iron Curtain. The rock is so perfect, and the line is so cool. It took me 14 tries to do it, and 5 climbing days. I used kneepads to send it. I think the line is easier with kneepads. You can do the crux a bit differently. It's still quite hard, but less demanding on the shoulders, and more of a conventional boulder problem. Adam proposed a 9b grade without kneepad. And I am quite sure of this grade if you are not using kneepads. Regarding the time and investment it took me, it could be more 9a+ using kneepads. This line is exceptional."

Stasa Gejo, the Discovery+ commentator, made great interviews with the winners Adam Ondra and Janja Garnbret. (c) Petr Chodura

Ondra: “I definitely needed a break after the Olympics, but now I feel it’s the time – I got hungry for competitions. I think I picked up the best Lead World Cup on the circuit which is Chamonix and it was a great decision – I enjoyed climbing here. I love climbing when it’s actually dark, that’s when the time is still here in Chamonix and when all the crowd behind your back is unbelievable.

I think the more complex the route, the better for me. I especially liked the pinchy section at the top of the overhang. Then I was kind of disappointed that it was just a pure crimp fest, but I was pretty happy that I could actually recover a little bit before the last crimps. The last dyno I was pretty sure from observation that I could just reach, but it was not possible.

Garnbret: “I felt flowy. Usually I feel more nervous when I know a lot of girls before me already topped, but this time I was super calm and relaxed. I just climbed with a little bit of caution because I knew that I needed to top the route, but it was easy! Right now I’m really excited to go back home to fall back into a routine a little bit, and then I’m excited for Briançon.”

Janja Garnbret topped all her four routes with ease in Chamonix and won based on countback over Laura Rogora, Chaehyun Seo and Jessica Pilz. (c) Lena Drapella/IFSC

Among the men, Taisei Homma was first out and fell dynoing to the top. The dyno was done with a pogo swing with his left foot which later landed on a big volume at the same time trying to grab the top jug. Later, everyone fell at least ten moves lower before Adam Ondra cruised it until he tried a double dyno move to the top. Interestingly, Adam’s climbing time was 3.10 meanwhile Taisei had used two more minutes.

Last climber out was Sean Bailey but he fell like Luca Potocar and Yannick Flohe going to hold 30. Then the confusion started as he did not get his obvious 29+ and he was fifth in the official list. The award ceremony started without Bailey. Then some seconds later Bailey got his + and his bronze.

Adam Ondra made his first 2022 World Cup in Chamonix and got three straight Tops in the qualification and semi rounds. Among the males, there were a total of eleven Tops in the quarterfinal and then also Sean Bailey, Luka Potocar and Satone Yoshida topped the semi. The latter two topped only one of the qualification routes. Alex Megos also topped but was only given 13 points as he accidentally put some weight on the quickdraw, while clipping, when his foot cut loose. The big sensation was that Colin Duffy was #20 and Jesse Grupper #35. Jesse topped one route but toe-hooked outside the route on the second. Complete results

Natalia Grossman and Janja Garnbret did also top all three routes, as also Brooke Raboutou did but the latter was given 37 due to being timed out. Third is the ranking is Natsuki Tanii, who topped the semi but only one of the qualification routes. Complete results The finals starts 8.30 pm.

It should be mentioned that time will be crucial, especially among the males in the finals as 2 + 4 have the same results going into the finals. In other words, if Janja or Natalia get the same scoring, the faster will be ranked higher.

In the European Lead Champion in Augsburgin Germany, 231 teenagers from 28 countries participated. Switzerland was the only nation getting two golds but overall no country dominated. The team manager from Norway, Reino Horak comments, "I talked to several other coaches and everyone said it was a very good organized competition with excellent route setting. It is interesting to see that the medals are so evenly spread over so many nations. Personally, I especially enjoyed the big fight all the strong boys from Great Britain put on."

Last weekend Norway got one gold in Dornbirn but in Augsburg, it was pretty much only the countries in northern Europe that did not get any Top-6 positions. It should also be mentioned that Alex Totkova did not participate as she instead competed in the Chamonix World Cup.

Juniors (2003-2004): Jonas Utelli SUI - Liv Egli SUI
Youth A (2005-2006): Toby Roberts GBR - Alessia Mabboni ITA
Juniors (2007-2008): Jan Stipek CZE - Flora Oblasser AUT