In 2015, 8a asked some of the very best Speed climbers how difficult it would be for the non-Speed specialist to reach a very good standard. Based on the times of Tomoa Narasaki and Rishat Khaibullin, they were actually dead wrong.

"In order to go below eight seconds, you probably need to do specific physical training for a year and also do many competitions, which would get you to understanding how to deal with the mental pressure. To get below 7 seconds in Tokyo 2020 you need to focus half of your training on Speed as well as gaining some weight in the whole body. Thus you will also have to deal with the mental pressure that your standard in Lead and Boulder will deteriorate and you will have to climb outdoors less."

It just might be that in reality, if all the best Lead and Boulder competitors would only go for Speed for one year, they would totally take over the scene and you had to run 5.6 or so to be Top-10. The reason for this is of course that the best Speed climbers of today are just the best of some few hundreds meanwhile the best Lead and Boulderers are the best out of several millions. The talent pole is thus several hundred times less creating the best Speed climbersof today.

Jernej Kruder, bouldering World Cup winner in 2018, has done Umetnost 9a in Ter. "It was a long process due to very hot temps. I was already super close after a few sessions, but it was always too hot or humid. It was an old aid route rebolted by Rajko Zajc and FA by Domen Skofic few weeks ago."

So how come you did not go to Briancon and what about the Olympic qualification in Moscow?
I think one competition does not make a difference for me this year and I rather spend time outdoors. If Moscow will happen, I attend to go there.

If Moscow will not happen, the Slovenian will get the Olympic ticket as he was #16 in the Combined World Champion. If there will be a Euro Olympic qualification, the #1 ranked, excluding already qualified athletes and all athleyesfrom Italy, Germany and France who have reached max quota, will qualify to Tokyo. In other words, Kruder could make it as #9 if he has Ondra, Schubert, Mawem brothers, Ghisolfi, Hojer, Lopez and Megos in front of him.

Jose Luis Palao has done the FA of Santo celedon 9a in Ilarduia. In 2020, the 35-year-old has now done eight routes 9a and 9a+ out of which five FA's. If he had been part of the 8a ranking game, he would have been #2 just ahead of Adam Ondra. (c) Alfonoso Martinez

"This route was a pending project equipped by Dani Andrada and Ignacio Mulero. Without a doubt for me, the best year of my life as a climber, more experience and more motivation. I will never be at the level of Adam Ondra and not even very close. I think the ranking can be dangerous for the new generation to go for points and ranking, doing new routes, many of them are over graded to score more..."

Katie Lamb, who has done five 8B's during the last two months, has done Freshly squeezed 8A+ in RMNP. In the 8a monthly ranking game,the 22-year-old is #1 among the female and #11 including the male.

"Of all the boulder nugs in the Colorado bubble, Freshly Squeezed is one of the hottest fire I’ve touched. The moves are big and powerful which meant I had to learn to spread my arm wings and fly. The boulder is so good it has reduced grown men to tears and is protected by an osprey overlord who flies over the nearby Lake Haiyaha and swoops for trout as climbers give good goes in the nearby talus. Although the grade doesn’t reflect the full difficulty of the climb, I have taken away deep learning lessons of both climbing and human empathy from the ascension experience. Boulder points of 8a ploos but learning points of 8b :). Well done Colorado bubble, you’ve got a good one!"

Tomoa Narasaki, who has qualified to Tokyo, reports on Insta that he has run up the Speed wall in 5.8 seconds during a training session. In the official PB ranking, Tomoa is fifth with 6.29 after Bassa Mawem 5.57, Ludovico Fossoli 5.78 Rishat Khaibullin 5.86 and Mickael Mawem 6.25.

In short, the 5.8 creates new conditions for the Olympic Games. Previously, it was believed that one of the Top-3 guys would win Speed getting a ticket to the final and then end up as #4 or #5 even being dead last in both Lead and Boulder, due to the multiplication format. Now, we could get a final without any so called "speed specialists" if Narasaki wins the Speed qualification. On the other hand, the Japanese overall skill could open up for a medal for any of the "speed specialists" by winning Speed and then Tomoa score 2 - 2 - 1. (c) Eddie Fowke who also found the exciting news.

Moritz Welt has done her eight 9a, La prophétie des grenouilles in Fournel. "First I tried " Une Arquée..." and after taking it down quickly I decided to go for the right exit. Took me like 3 sessions and 5 tries after doing the 8c. Rather low end 9a, pure fitness climbing." The 19-year-old is #5 in the 8a Lead ranking game and in combination with Boulder he is #3.

“This is one of the best rock climbing routes in Tirol. An obvious line up the middle of the granite face’s impressive crack. This route immediately catches your eye!” (Barbara Zangerl)

• Climbing Area: Niederthai, Ötztal Valley
• Grade: 7b
• Length: 22 meters
• First Ascensionist: Matthias Burtscher (1993)

The route "Le Miracle" is located in a section known as "Minas Tirith & Glatteis" and begins with a tough section followed by an easier part where climbers can rest. Then it is time to move on to the crux of the route. Those climbing the route on sight and for the first time may have trouble here working out which hand to use for the narrow crack, but once this tricky section has passed the crack widens and it is more about technique than strength all the way to the top. The route is located in a cauldron-like arena with an area of sparse forest at 1,500 metres above sea level and the best time for climbing is between spring and autumn. Read more

Maho Normand has done his second 8c+, San ku kai in Entraygues. Earlier this summer, the 145 cm tall did his first 8b onsight, Racing in the street in Rue de Masques. "San ku kai is a very physical route with large compression movements, I started to work this route at the start of the summer holidays and I had to put in about ten or fifteen sessions to be able to achieve this beautiful route in Entraygues. My next project is to make one more 8b onsight and to do an 8b+ flash."

Laura Rogora, who yesterday won the Briancon World Cup, reports on Insta that she has done La Prophétie des grenouilles 9a in Fournel and remarkable, she just needed three tries. In total, the 153 cm tall has now done 14 routes 8c+/9a and harder out of which five this summer including one 9b. (c) Ida Mutto