The Combined format in Tokyo is based on the multiplication of the results in all three disciplines. This means that it is much better to excel in one discipline rather than being consistent in all disciplines. Here are some ranking examples

1. Tomoa Narasaki 2 * 1 * 6 = 12 (Speed - Boulder - Lead)
2. Adam Ondra 7 * 3 * 1 = 21
3. Jakob Schubert 6 * 2 * 2 = 24
4*. Bassa Mawem 1 * 8 * 8 = 64
5. Alberto Gines Lopez 3 * 6 * 5 = 90
6. Alex Megos 8 * 4 * 3 = 96
7. Alexey Rubtsov 4 * 5 * 7 = 140
8. Colin Duffy 5 * 7 * 4 = 140

As we know, one slip in any of the disciplines can dramatically change the ranking. Particularly so in Bouldering, where a bit of luck could put any of the finalists, besides the Speed specialists, on top. Let us say Megos wins in Bouldering while all other results above are kept the same. 1. Megos = 24 (wins as he beats Narasaki in two out of three events)
2. Narasaki = 24
3. Ondra = 28
4. Schubert = 36
5. Mawem = 64

* The Speed qualification winner will probably end as #4 in the final. Another possibility is that there will be two Speed specialists in the final, which then increases the "risk" for one of them getting the bronze although not scoring one zone in Bouldering as well as just making two clips or so in Lead. However, Narasaki could win Speed meaning that he probably will get a maximal score of 14 and thus Ondra, or any other, need to win both in Lead and Boulder to get the gold.

Nick Bradley has done his second 8C, Delirium in Mt Evans and he has the video on Insta. The 24-year-old did his first 8B in 2015 and has since then built up a solid grade pyramid with 22 8B's and four 8B+' before doing his first two 8C's in 2021. " I did the left exit a few years ago so I had learned the beginning already. It took about 5 sessions this year to finish up Delirium."

Alex Totkova made her first 8a headlines when she did her first 8a at age 12. Previously, she had for two years won all the comps she had done in Bulgaria, Petzen, Imst and Arco. Being 13, she did her first 8c and last year she sent her first 9a (8c+). In 2019, she started doing IFSC Youth Cups and although winning two events, half of the time she was outside the podium. In her WC debut, she was #18 and then #6 before getting the bronze in Chamonix. (c) Vladek Zumr

How can you training wise explain your great progress in 2021?
This season, which is not over yet 😊, was planned by my coaches a year earlier. They inspired me and motivated me that things could work out. For my preparation most of the time we trained in Bulgaria in NSA gym. We do not have the best conditions for lead in all Bulgaria and I mostly train on the boulder wall for endurance. But I hope that things will get better soon 😀. I have a training program but it is difficult for explain. We are training different for every competition.

How does it feel to have taken such big steps up in the ranking?
With a lot of experience and adrenaline from yesterday's final, I am almost happy with my climbing😚….. but not really happy🤷🏼‍♀️, because I could do a little more. I really want to get pump at my maximum as the best climbers do. And I think I didn’t do my best, yes nice climbing but not enough. Now l am looking for the next competition which is after a few days. I want to show my limit.🤪 TOP

What are your goals for 2021?
My dreams are my goal and I want to fulfil my dreams without anyone knowing about them. After fulfilling them maybe I will want to say😁😆

Pierre Le Cerf has done the FA of Alone 9a in Gorges du Loup, which is an extension to an 8b+/c. (c) Loïc Athenon

"This project was a great lesson in life because, during the first two sessions, I barely reached the beginning of the hard passage. I fell each time on the first move after 35m of 8b+/c climbing. I lacked fluidity, mental strength for some parts, lower temperature and endurance in the forearms, and especially more endurance in the arms. I went back to training and inserted a bit of route-specific endurance into these workouts and I was doing circuits 8-10 min in my bedroom in the heat, without stopping, to get used to this long effort. I say "a great lesson in life" because in just two other sessions in the route I ended up doing it thanks to a great desire. Anything can happen quickly in life."

1. Sean Bailey USA 200 - Laura Rogora* ITA 223
2. Stefano Ghisolfi ITA 191 - Janja Garnbret* SLO 200
3. Sascha Lehmann SUI 148 - Vita Lukan SLO 153
4. Higuchi Masahiro JPN 135 - Natalia Grossman USA 151
5. Alex Megos* GER 127 - Alex Totkova (16) BUL 128
6. Alberto Gines Lopez* ESP 126 - Julia Chanourdie* FRA 115
* Athletes that will compete in the Olympics.

In the next event in Briancon, only Gines Lopez and Jessica Pilz have registered to compete out of all 40 Olympians.

Laura Rogora won in Chamonix being the only one topping out in a great fight, which was the highlight of the evening. Natalia Grossman continued showing great also in Lead, getting the silver. Third was Alex Totkova (16) who has improved from being #18 and #6 in her two first WCs. Vita Lukan lost the bronze due to countback. (c) Vladek Zumr

Among the male, unfortunately, the route was too hard but as in Villars, Sean Bailey got highest on the wall. Second and third were Stefano Ghisolfi and Martin Stranik who both fell as they tried to use a kneebar. Martin is a boulder specialist who got the silver in the World Championship in 2007! From the Complete results we can see that almost all of the Olympians did not take part.

During the finals in Chamonix, the commentators said twice that time would be the decisive factor if there would be ties, as all eight finalists had topped the semi. This thought was also put forward in the winner interview with Laura Rogora who answered that this was not the case as her result was not tied. The commentator seems to have missed that, according to the IFSC Rules, which is easy to misunderstand, that also the qualification results counts.

7.24 Semi-final and Final rankings.
B) in relation to the Semi-Final round, if any competitors are tied following the ranking procedure of Article 7.22, their relative ranking shall be determined by count-back to their Qualification Ranking (unless the Qualification round was held with two Starting Groups).
C) in relation to the Final round, if any competitors are tied following the ranking procedure of Article 7.22, their relative ranking shall be determined:
1) by count-back to their rankings from the preceding round; and
2) if following count-back, any competitors are tied in joint first, second or third place, these places shall be determined by the climbing time for each competitor (lower times are better).

Alex Totkova was tied with Vita Lukan at 38+ and Vita made it to that score in less time than Alex. However, as Alex had a better ranking coming into to the final, she got the bronze. From my understanding, it seems that the word "relative" is missing in 7.24 C 1.

Simon Lorenzi reports on Insta that he has done a direct 8C variation of Giuliano Cameroni's Power of Now 8C. The 168 cm tall had to add one dyno from two underclings in order to get to the original starting crimps, which you normally can reach from the slab. (c) Samuel Tuor

"I did it on the first try of my 2nd session. Next is back to training for competitions :) My next official competition will be the world championship in September."