Here is the list of the 8 males and females that according to IFSC has qualified to Tokyo. They have sent out a request for confirmation but Japan disagrees. Update - IFSC has published a list saying 8 + 8 climbers are confirmed, meaning Japan must have accepted that Kai Harada and Miho Nonaka are in. The argument relates to how the selection process in regards the host country allocation should be interpreted. IFSC thinks Japan should not be allowed a special host place as they got two qualified in Hachioji WCH. The document gives no exact answer but it is a well-known fact that the Japan Federation has planned to select their host place at a later stage. It should be mentioned that in the qualifying document, including the strict time schedule how to confirm, etc an allocated quota place, IFSC has forgotten to mention details for the host quota place. 8a has several times explained the qualification process based on how Japan also has understood it. What is a bit strange is that IFSC has not earlier said this intertretation is wrong. IFSC should know that the Japan Federation, 8a and other media as well as coaches, have interpreted the host qualification procedure differently.

Jane Vincourkova, who did her first 8A two weeks ago, has advanced one step further having done Rustam SD 8A+ in Moravský kras, after six days of projecting. "When my boyfriend showed me this problem I totally fell in love with it even it was totally above my limits. Once we went to Moravian Karst, everything I wanted to try was wet so we decided to visit it. As there was still harder topout version for my BF. Surprisingly I did the first two moves, which is the crux, on my flash go. So I decided to invest my time into it. About the Jump in my performance, I started to climb this February after Two years pause, so I think I am just finding right now where my limits and strengths are."

Canadian Climbing News reports that the Japanese climbing federation has filed suit with the Court of Arbitration in regards IFSC changing the selection for Tokyo qualification without explanation. "Snippets of information about Team Japan had been emerging all week, with the website 8a.nu reporting the Harada and Nonaka news several days ago. Harada confirmed to CCN on Tuesday that he had indeed been chosen for Tokyo 2020, while Nonaka said she still had not heard from the Japanese federation. At that time, representatives from the JMSCA did not return messages seeking clarification." Full story in Japanese.

Theo Blass has done his first 8b, Bertane at Saint Guilhem le Desert after 5-6 tries during two days. Three months ago he sent another 8b on top rope. Previously a hand full 9-year-old's including Brooke Raboutou have done a 8b. His father Vlad, who did an 8c in 2017, gives us the nice and impressive story. "When he was about 7 he started climbing more regularly - about 1-2 times per week on rock and 1-2 times indoors. He had a good progression in the last year, jumping from 6b to 8b in about 15 months. He only started leading about 6 months ago and is still scared to lead some times. His training is mainly indoor bouldering (at the moment about twice per week but this changes all the time - he boulders when he feels like it - some weeks he could do 5 sessions per week and then not boulder for entire weeks ) - no proper training yet as he is too young. Also he loves other sports (running, skiing, judo, mountain biking). "

The Combined calculation format does not favor the best overall but instead the ones winning at least one discipline. An overall good climber being 7 - 8 - 8, scores 448 at the same time another one scoring 1 - 20 - 20, gets 400. If the sum would have been used the overall good climber would have gotten a much better score at 23 compared to 40, for the very uneven climber. Nikolai Iarilovets, scoring #16 in Lead, #13 in Bouldering and #6 in Speed (6.26) was one of the best scoring on a high level in each discipline 2019. With another set of rules, he would have had chances to get a medal, now he will most likely not make it to Tokyo. The best overall climber, measured my the sum of all three disciplines was Tomoa Narasaki 1 - 3 - 26. In comparison, Rishat Khaibullin #3 in Hachioji and qualified to Tokyo, who is the high performer Speed climber who also is relatively good in Lead and Boulder, did score 13 - 41 - 42.

Matteo Menardi, who did his first 9a five years ago at age 15, has done his seventh 9a, Water World in Osp/Misja Pec. "The difficult part is long more or less 30 moves, then good rests and the unique Osp cave style. Definitely a 55 metres benchmark for this crag." What about going for a 9a+? I have a lot of ideas, trying routes in the Arco area is one of them. I would also like to travel more. Margalef, Ceuse and Flatanger are the first areas that come to my mind.

This week, IFSC did send out personal invitations to 20 male and female for the Toulouse Olympic qualification event. A couple of days later they sent out information in regards last-minute selection rule changes, meaning that some who received the invitations have understood that they are not welcome any longer. In the original selection rule, there was a max country quota of two athletes but this rule has now been deleted. In practice, this means that Japan can send five males and climbers like Jernej Kruder and Alexey Rubtsov, etc seem to be out. Also some female who got an invitation assume they are out. It should be mentioned that both Kruder and Rubtsov did choose to not participate in the last event in Japan as they already had secured their Toulouse spot based on the original rule. If Rubtsov, who was #18 the week before in Xiamen, would have been possibly #32 in Inzai, he would have secured a spot also with the new selection rules.

Japan got a double victory in the China Combined Open with Keita Dohi and Miho Nonaka. In the end, they were both rather superior with a calculated sum of 6 respective 18 points. Runner-ups were Nikolai Iarilovets, see below story) and Futaba Ito. Interesting is that several athletes had to be separated with time in Lead and that half of the female topped all three problems at the same time as the Speed specialist did not even get a zone. Rishat Khaibullin, #3 in the Combined WCH, was just #7. He lost the quarter final in Speed against Keita Dohi with just 0.03 seconds. Later he climbed half a second faster setting the best Speed time in the final with 5.96. Complete results

The Toulouse Olympic qualifying event takes place in a month for the Top-20 in the overall ranking excluding the ones already have qualified to Tokyo and a max 2 country quota. This is also the first time the Olympic format is tried out on an international arena for most of the participants. Interesting is that time will decide ties in the onsight qualification and that there is only one route. As we have seen the route setters having problems separating the climbers this year it will be more important to climb fast. This means also that there will be an advantage starting last as you can hear and partly measure by the time consumed that somebody topped. In practice, if I have understood the rules correctly, the highest-ranked in the Combined ranking will start last, i.e. Adam Ondra.

Fanatic Climbing reports that Cedric Lachat has done the 27th ascent of La Rambla 9a+ in Siurana. The 35-year-old, who previously has done four 9a+', was one of the best Lead competition climbers during 00'-is when he also got a silver in a Boulder WC. (c) l’Algérien "I tried a long time ago, it was an old nemesis. The first it was after I did “La reina mora” (2015). Then I tried 2 years ago but the conditions were hot. Last year I invested some time on it, during 2 months and 5 there and go from Grenoble…and I finished with a pulley damaged. I did only 10 tries and I was falling 8 times at the crux at the end, at this deadpoint move to the two-finger pocket left hand. This year I tried Andrada’s beta at the crux, instead of holding the vertical crimp right hand to the two-finger pocket with the left hand undercling, I hold this one going to a gaston-sloper right hand and then to the two-finger pocket left hand. It’s harder physically but it’s less random."