Adam Ondra won first the qualification and later the semi but then he could not get the first zone in the final. Then it took him five attempts to get the zone on the second boulder and in few seconds he topped it. Topping out the last two, showing a great technical repertoire, he secured another great victory and also creating a great show, saving the route setter from yet a round with too hard boulders. However, all 18 boulders in the three rounds were topped. It should also be mentioned that Japan had four Top-6.

Ondra comments; "I prepared a lot for this competition. In fact, last year and this spring, I was trying to eliminate all my weaknesses in bouldering.

Even though the spectators were not allowed to be here, the competitors and couches themselves created an atmosphere that is definitely worthy of the World Cup. The feeling when I topped the last boulder and the hall basically “thundered” was absolutely amazing and I will definitely remember this moment for a long time."

1. Adam Ondra 33 CZE (c) Petr Chodura
2. Yushiyuki Ogata 24 JPN
3. Tomoaki Takata 14 JPN
Complete results

It was great to see the first Bouldering World Cup in 20 months but the problems for the qualifications remain the same. As there were 101 participants, these were divided into two groups, meaning that the ten boulders had to go almost straight up. There was no room for parkour running or big sideway dynos etc. For some reason, it seemed to be very few coordination moves also, meaning that it was quite an old school route setting with modern holds.

If IFSC would limit the number of participants or reduce the maximum time to four minutes, like in the European Cup last weekend, just one group would be needed. Reino Horak, head coach of the Norweigan team, has suggested several options to IFSC based on a max quota of two per country plus the ones who have ranking points etc. From one perspective it seems disadvantageous for the World Cup to allow four participants from one country where are all among the last in the results. The competition, including the route setters, would benefit if just 80 would compete in the qualification. One option is of course that more climbers could participate, but then there should be one more round where the best are allowed to compete in the qualification.

Another problem with two starting groups is that they can be quite uneven and also that the route setting can differ as it did for the females in Meiringen.

Furthermore, it is impossible to know how close Jakob Schubert and others were to get into the Top-20 semi. Did he touch any of the three top holds of the problems he did not make? If the scoring were based on points and there could be two zones or possibly three, with the last being awarded based on touching the top, more drama would have been created.

Janja Garnbret, (c) Vladek Zumr, did all five boulders first try in Meiringen and Slovenia got another five girls to the semi. Also Akiyo Noguchi, Natalia Grossman, Oriane Bertone and Brooke Raboutou topped all five boulders. The biggest disappointment was that Petra Klinger and Kyra Kondie were tied #21 and did not make it to the semi. Other Olympians not making it to the semi were Viktoria Meshkova #23 and Laura Rogora #29. Another negative surprise was Fanny Gibert, finishing #35 among the 70 participants. It should also be mentioned that the results were quite different in the two groups as tied #41 had just 4 zones in one group and 3 tops and 5 zones in the other. Complete results.

Although the Olympians Tomoa Narasaki and Kai Harada did not participate in Meiringen, Japan had its entire team of seven finishing in the Top 25. Slovenia did, as Japan, get four into the semi. Adam Ondra won one group with four tops and two tops and five zones got you in the Top-20 semifinal.

The biggest negative surprise was that Jakob Schubert and Jan Hojer were tied at #23. A total of 101 participated, out of which just half made at least one top. The semi starts tomorrow at 10.00 Euro time. Vladek Zumr - (c) Complete results

Although Adam Ondra won his qualification group in Meiringen and three other of the Olympians made it to the Top-20 semi, it seems many of the guys going to Tokyo have taken a toll on all their Speed training. Jakob Schubert, who was #7 last week in a Euro Cup, was #23, Jan Hojer #27, Michael Piccolruaz #27, Collin Duffy #31, Mickel Mawem #35, Alberto Gines Lopez #73 and Rishat Khaibullin #77. Nine did not participate including Tomoa Narasaki and Kai Harada from Japan.

Roberto Lopez reports that due to the effects of Natura 2000, climbing around Alicante is at risk. Please, fill in this form to show the positive economical impact climbing has in the area.

"The future entry into force of the new regulations that will regulate the Natura 2000 Network in the province of Alicante puts at risk the future of practically all the climbing crags in this province, since in its draft decree it explicitly says that the activities Climbing and canyoning are not compatible with the protection of the environment in the natural areas of this network, which cover almost the entire natural territory of the province.

The local climbing community has already mobilized, giving visibility to this problem, especially through social networks, and working together with the Federation of Mountain Sports and Climbing of the Valencian Community. One of the initiatives launched has been the creation of forms aimed at foreign climbers in order to collect real data on the economic and tourist impact that the climb has in the province of Alicante and to be able to present them to the authorities as an argument for them to rectify the future decree and includes climbing as an outdoor sports activity compatible with the protection and regulation of the natural spaces of the Natura 2000 Network of Alicante.

Therefore, for us it is very important to spread the word about this problem as much as possible and your 8a.nu page is the perfect portal to reach the maximum number of climbers. It would be great if the news and the link to the form appeared on it. Here are the links to the news published by facebook and to the form for climbers from outside of Costa Blanca. Congratulations for 8a.nu and thank you very much for the help you can give us."

The organizer's live-streaming from the male qualificalition in Meiringen is up and running, with french/german commentators. You can follow the results on IFSC or via the IFSC App. Based on an 8a poll with 1 200 unique votes, Adam Ondra is the big favourite to win.
39 % Adam Ondra
17 % Jakobb Schubert
15 % Alex Megos
08 % Yushiyuki Ogata
06 % Jernej Kruder
05 % Others (Nikolai Uznik most mentioned)
05 % Kokoro Fuji, 3 % Nathaniel Coleman, 1 % Alexey Rubtsov

The female start their qualification 16.30. Tomorrow the semis starts 11.00 and then the male final 19.15 followed by the female final.

Antoine Girard, who previously has done eighth 8B+', has done his first 8C, Longue promesse in Le Pertuis, video.

"It’s a overhanging wall with slippery edges with a very nice dyno at the end. The hard part is to do the first move of the stand and manage to keep the tension in the heal hook till the last move. The sit start adds a 7C+ to the 8B stand. Nothing really hard but enough to make the upper part much harder. I spend five sessions on the stand start and I spent three sessions more to succeed in the sit start. It’s actually my first 8C. I made the first repetition three months after the FA of Nathan Michel. For the grade I think it’s a real 8C because I spent five sessions more than my other hard 8B+."

Climbing reports that three 3a routes have been bolted over 1 000-year-old Petroglyphs in Moab. "“Put it this way:, the native people soloed up and stood there for hours on end, pecking at the rock with another rock,” said Reay." (c) Darrin Reay

Darrin later removed the bolts and have been in contact with the bolter who first said the Petroglyphs were just graffiti. Stewart M Green has also reported the story on his Facebook. "As climbers, we need to be aware that it is illegal to climb on or near cultural resources like rock art panels and archeological sites as mandated by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966."

In a new article, Climbing reports that the bolter has received death treaths and that he regrets his mistake.

Gonzalo Larrocha, who did his first 9a at age 30, has done the FA of PanHaters 9a in Alquezar. In total, the 36-year-old has now done 20 routes 9a and harder. It should be mentioned that some of his 57 recorded 8c+', the first nine years ago, are considered 9a by most. "I started equipping this route before the pandemic. Sometime later I finished it. Thanks to David, Beto, Eugenia and other people who accompanied me. Of the grade, I am very lost. I think it's very tough for 8c+. One good thing for me during the pandemic is that I could bolt at least 12 new routes in Alquezar, between 6c+ to 9a."

So you did your first 7c at age 21 and then have had a rather slow "late bloomer progress" at the same time you have a very wide grade pyramid. How can you explain this and when will you do your first 9b?
I'm motivated with climbing and I'm good at endurance but really bad at powerful moves. I don't think 9b is possible for me. I don't feel that I could progress more. But nevertheless many other times I have been confused😀.