Fanatic Climbing reports that Pierre Le Cerf has done PuntX in Gorges du Loup suggesting an upgrade to 9a+ due to three broken holds. The 20-year-old, who previously has done three 9a’s, needed some 15 sessions to take it down. (c) Océane Pastor

Rishat Khaibullin was the biggest sensation in the Combined World Championship last year, getting the bronze after finishing seventh in Speed event and then winning it in Combined. Interestingly, the 24-year-old is not a Speed specialist and as he says he find it, "awfully boring", he had just trained it once a week but nevertheless improved from 6.85 to 5.83 in the Speed WCs during 2019.

Since a couple of years, the Kazakhstani lives in Czech Republic and since the last year in Brno where he often trains win Adam Ondra. In Briancon he was #11 after having been #5 in the qualification which can be compared to #44 in his best performance during the last two years World Cups.

With the multiplication scoring in Tokyo, this means there is actually a realistic chance that he could copy his bronze also during in the Olympics. He just needs to win Speed, beating three specialists, and to be ranked #5 out of eight in either Lead or Boulder. Another possibility is that if he is second in the Speed qualification, he could still make it to the Top-8 final by being around #12 in Lead or Boulder.

As a matter of a fact, one realistic option for the three Speed specialists that have qualified to Tokyo to get a medal, is to win the Speed qualification and hope that also Rishat makes it to the final. Then scoring 1 - 7 - 8 = 56 in the final could be good enough to get a medal if Khaibullin is runner-up in the Speed final. In other words, in such case, the Speed final will likely be the sub six seconds race who likely will get the bronze.

In any case, let us hope that Khaibullin makes it to the final as he has much better chances to score a decent result in both Boulder and Lead, in comparison to three Speed specialists. It should also be said that with the recent 5.8 personal best by Tomoa Narasaki, the three Speed specialist as well as Khaibullin, none of the three Speed specialist or Khaibullin might qualify to the final. On the other hand, if they make it to the final, their bronze possibility have improved if Narasaki wins by scoring something like scores like 1 - 2 - 3. Overall, it is very good for the Olympics that Khaibullin has improved in Lead and Boulder as well as Narasaki has improved in Speed.

Dani Fuertes has done P con fin mas hulk extension 9a in Rodellar, which was open by Dani Andrada in 2007. The 39-year-old did his first out of a dozen 9a in 2009. (c) Marta del Prado

"The route begins with Proa, an 8A sit start boulder. It is quite tense... crimps and a lot of core. You climb like this doing fin de Ali to a kneebar where you must get the rope to begin Hulk extension, the classic 8c in Rodellar."

Martina Demmel, who was #24 in Briancon, has during the last three weeks onsighted 15 routes 7c to 8b and the 18-year old is #1 in the onsight ranking game last month, including also the male. This is the first time in the 8a history a female is ranked ahead of all male! Interestingly, she is also ahead of all male when it comes to the Top-100 onsights the last year, as well as in the Top-100 routes the last month!. Only in 2020, she has onsighted 82 routes 7c and harder and in total, she has done 131 routes 8a and harder including nine 8c's, all of them done within a couple of sessions. (c) Christian Seitz

8b: Radote jolie pépère, "Things like this only will happen when you don't expect them at all! Just wanted to boulder up once to warm up for an onsight in the left one but directly found myself clipping the chains of this exposed king line as well:)) two bouldery sections separated by a big rest; couldn't see anything while coming around on this edge in the 2nd crux as the sun was still in the wall..."
8a+: Beauté de chine in Tournoux, Encore in Céüse
8a: Bouse de douze in Céüse and Cost of Freedom in Tournoux

"So in general I don't wanna spent the whole trip trying only a few hard routes I rather wanna get an insight to the place by climbing as many different routes as possible mostly the classics or those who simply look impressive. By climbing lots of different styles I'm slowly getting more comfortable in reading which saves a lot of power and tries as I may find the almost perfect solution for my small size pretty fast. Furthermore, the main reason why I really enjoy onsight climbing because I can decide much more intuitively, be more in the moment without thinking about anything else and to not know what's ahead of you makes this kinda challenge pretty attractive for me. On the other side, I'm psyched to see where my redpoint limit is as well but this isn't what motivates me at the moment maybe in a few weeks, months who knows;) still a lot to learn on keeping up the motivation in a longterm project🔥😊 I don't have any plan or strict routine during the day at all just deciding the routes how I feel or where the others wanna climb which keeps the expectations pretty low😉"

Michele Reusa has done his third 8a, Balboa in Tetto di Sarre, his sixth attempt. At the same crag he also onsighted his third 8a, Sogno di Nessuno. The 13-year-old and 175 cm tall trains three times a week in a gym called Kuota 8.10 and then climbing outdoors most weekends.

"I always try onsight up to 8b. Saturday I was close on an 8a+ but I fell missing just two bolts. My goals for 2020 are to do another two 8c's and an 8c+. In September there will be a meeting for the Italian national team and I hope to qualify for the European youth cup."

William Bosi, who did his first 9b this spring, has done his second 8C, Serenata in Impossible Roof after almost ten sessions. "This has been my first big boulder project so it’s been a really cool experience. It feels amazing putting so much time into something that felt desperate and making happen. With the boulder being only 30 minutes from my house I’ve been able to have quite a few sessions and really push myself on a boulder project which has been a super cool experience. Although the line is an eliminate it climbs really nicely. On my last session I slipped on the last hard move missed the boulder mats and badly sprained my ankle. Luckily it healed quickly and I was able to come back this week and get it done"."

What is next and what about the Olympics?
In terms of outdoor projects hard to say, need to finish Mutation (9a+)! I’m still focused on the Olympics but as walls have only just started opening up I haven’t been able to speed climb since March! So just had to do a lot of off wall exercises.

Last year in Toulouse, he was super close to get a ticket in the qualifying event as he was the only one getting a hand on the last boulder after having done the first three.

Loic Zehani, who previously has done 21 routes 9a to 9b, has done three more impressive ascents including his first 8c flash, Stay kratom stay safe in St Leger, Sahara 9a+ in Gargantua and Sang neuf 9a in Pierrot Beach.

"My father flashed me the route. It is his project. Sahara" is a connexion of "Fésert convoité" 8c , "Lunatique" 8c and La fiesta del biceps" 8c+ . It's beginning with a natural boulder section and after it's very resistant. After a 9a and a physical rest, you must do an 8b/b+ very physical too. It's one of the most difficult connexions in the cave. It is unfortunately not a natural route but this is a very interesting effort. Four days before "Sahara", I sent "Sang neuf" 9a at Pierrot beach. It took me 2 days."

Loic's father is Christophe (46) who has done two 8c's in 2020. The last time he did a 9a, out of a handful, was four years ago.

Tanguy Merard, who has done two 9a's this year, has done two 8c+; Espace Challenge in Précipice de Corbière, "It's a very long route with a boulder just before the top. For me it was a big challenge to do the route in three days, (before leaving). I liked climbing on this long route, so funny to climb!" and Deltaplane man direct in Entraygues, "A bouldery route with a very interesting effort, really intense and I love it." (c) Antoine Mesnage

In July, the #1 in the junior ranking game, fell on the last move on Biographie 9a+ in Céüse. "Interesting to try the world's first 9a+. I will come back soon to try to send the route! I was close and I have to finish the work."