At the same time we see more and more 9a's being recorded in the 8a database, onsights 8b+ and harder are getting rarer. During the last eight years, 411 insights 8b+ to 9a have been registered which can be compared to just 12 such onsights the last year. One reason for this is that Adam Ondra, with a total of 173 onsights 8b+ to 9a, and other competition climbers have been climbing less outdoors the last year as they are focusing on the Olympics. As regards the female, we can see a similar trend and as a matter of a fact, only Martina Demmel has recorded an 8b onsight in the 8a database, Pati pa mi, the last year.

Matt Fultz, who did his first 8C ten months ago, has done his eigth, Dreamtime in Cresciano. The 28-year-old is #3 in the ranking game and based of his trend diagram he could be #1 in six months but then he needs to also step up to 8C+.

Piotr Schab, who just did his ninth 9a+, has onsighted two 8b+', Los Humildes pa Casa. and The King Lizard in Oliana. Including nine 8c onsights, the Pole should be considered as one of the very best onsight climbers in the world. (c) Toni Mas Muchaca During the last week, Piotr has also done two 8c+' and he is #3 in the 8a ranking game.

One possible explanation of why we see less hard core onsights done is that indoor gyms and training focus have moved climbing from being a lifestyle sport to be more performance-oriented also outdoors. Instead of doing multiple easier onsights while on road trips, it seems projecting a hard route is the name of the game today. If you do not practice your onsight skills continuously, it is a hard time to set new personal best. Being more competitive, it is harder mentally to fall on an onsight as you only have that opputunity. Falling on a redpoint creates much less anxiety as you can just lower down and go for it again. The twist of this more competitive focus, also outdoors, is that Adam Ondra, being the best climber in the world, is also the one focusing most on onsight. The message to all youngsters and their parents is to build a wide onsight pyramid and then you will progress automatically also in redpoint. Interview with Ondra being 13-years-old - "I always try to climb as many routes of the grade OS (now, it is 8b). I usually don't try harder things for a long time." In the 8a ranking, created in 1999, you get 145 points extra for an onsight meaning a 7a onsight is less valuable than a 7b+ redpoint. We plan to change it to 155 points bonus. The ranking shows that current onsight ranking and alhough Ondra has limited time on rock, he is still #1. Interesting is also that the best female, Solveig Korherr, is #15.

IFSC has stated that due to the coronavirus, the Asian Combined Championship in Wujiang - China 18/5, might be postponed or rescheduled. If it is postponed, they will use the World Champion as the qualifying event. This means that Jongwon Chon and Chaehyun Seo, both from Korea, will get a ticket to Tokyo.

Colin Duffy from USA, who never has done a senior IFSC comp, won the Pan-Am Continental Championship in Los Angeles securing him a ticket to the Olympics. The two times Youth World Champion and 155 cm tall was fifth in Speed, second in Bouldering and won the Lead = 10 points. Zach Galla, also from USA was second with 16 points. In the end, what separated them was one try to bonus. All Top-4 (from USA) in bouldering topped all three boulders. If Duffy would have needed four tries instead of three to get the bonuses, he would have ended with a total score of 20. In the same way, if Galla would have made the bonuses in three tries instead of four he would have med it to Tokyo. From the video at 2.19, we can also see that Galla unfortunately just slipped in the very start on the final boulder. Furthermore, if Sean Bailey would have not slipped and made the three tops in three tries instead of four, and Duffy need one more try to the zones, he would have been the lucky guy. Complete results. Another twist from the results is that Duffy made it to Tokyo as he was quicker than Bailey to top out the Lead route!

As USA has filled their country quota, Drew Ruana lost his possibility to get the Tripartite ticket based from him being #13 in the World Championship. The Tripartite was supposed to go to the best athlete from a micro Olympic country but as no such competed in the Combined in Hachioji, it will go to the best in Hachioji respecting the country quota. Michael Piccolruaz from Italy was #15 in Hachioji and he will go to Tokyo unless and Italian will qualify and fill their country quota in the European Championship. If the Italians will fill their country quota, then Jernej Kruder is next in line to get the Tripartite ticket.

Chris Frick, who did his first 8b+, out of 12, in 1992, has done one more, Los Humildes pa Casa in Oliana. With 8c, always nearby where he lives in Basel, as his personal best and that he could not climb for a year in 2017, his story is really inspiring. (c) Toni Mas Buchaca "In 2017 I lost the nervus thoracicus in the right shoulder meaning I couldn‘t lift my right arm for about a year. It was questionable if I could climb again. But my love for climbing was stronger and I slowly worked my way back to climbing at my personal limit. A tough task for sure. But intuitively I realized that it could not be over... not yet! With my experience I can tell some good news: climbing at an age of 50+ and at the same personal limit you may have in your hay-days some decades ago is still possible. Never say you’re too old or weak. Live sustainably and eat healthily, enjoy life, meet people who spend positive energies and avoid the energy-vampires who tell you at your age everything is over! Climbing has so much to offer and exploring what’s possible at the world's best crags together with great friends is so rewarding. Getting fat and watching TV? No way! Training is following an intuitive program founded on my experience. Mostly change from bouldering to lead in the gym. A lot of core exercises and finger strength with extra weight. But always listen to myself how much load I can stand that training day. Every six weeks is a resting week. Good nutrition. I‘m vegan."