NEWS

No big sensations during male Lead qually
Sascha Lehmann, Jakob Schubert and Tomoa Narasaki flashed both qualification routes. Adam Ondra was #10 after one top and being #22 and Czech Republich had three guys in To-13. Japan got five through to the Top-26 semifinal and all their six participants Top-29. No big names failed to make it but some Olympic candidates struggled; #28 Jernej Kruder, #30 Nathaniel Coleman, #33 Jan Hojer, #38 Yannick Flohe, #39 Manuel Cornu and Michael Piccolruaz. Among the Speed specialist, Bassa Mawem was #60 which means that if he wins the Speed he will almost certain get an Olympic ticket. Complete results (c) Vladek Zumr

Garnbret the only one flashing both routes
All big names but Sol Sa, Mina Markovic and Ashima Shiraishi made it through and interesting was Shauna Coxey at #23. Janja Garnbret was the only one to flash both routes and another four Slovenians Top-18. Among the Speed specialists; Andrea Rojas #56, Anouck Jaubert #60, Aleksandra Kalucka #64 and YiLing Song #66. It just might be that if any of them are #1 and #2, we might have two Speed specialists getting and Olympic ticket even if one is more likely. Complete results (c) Vladek Zumr

Le Cadre Nouvelle Version 9a by Marco Zanone
Marco Zanone has done his second 9a, Le Cadre Nouvelle Version in Cรฉรผse, meaning he did the unchipped variant. "Wow. A real struggle for me. Can't believe I completed my second 9A in one of the best crag in the world. World-class, a route I'll never forget." Interesting is tha Marco had previous years done a maximum of two 8c+' and this year he has already done five. In the 8a ranking game, he is #11.

Ondra wins the semi in great style
Adam Ondra had won the semi final after having done the first three boulders in good style actually finding two no hands rest. The last boulder he only gave two tries. The route setting was hard but great and in the end ten did get at least one top and many very close calls. Japan got three to the final and five in the Top-9 and all seven participants in Top-14. 1. Adam Ondra CZE 34 2. Tomoa Narasaki JPN 24 3. Kokoro Fujii JPN 24 4. Keita Dohi JPN 24 5. Yannick Flohe GER 24 6. Jakob Schubert AUT 14 Complete results (c) Vladek Zumr

Janja Garnbret World Champion again
1. Janja Garnbret SLO 33 2. Akiyo Noguchi JPN 22 (4) 3. Shauna Coxsey GBR 22 (6) 4. Ievgeniia Kazbekova UKR 12 (3) 5. Miho Nonaka JPN 12 (5) 6. Nanako Kura JPN 1 Complete results Janja Garnbret saved the show and won in great style. On the picture by Vladek Zumr she is doing her patented pendulum swing sticking a sideway dyno.

Three zones good enough for the female final
The route setters did over cook the female semi final boulders, although all four were topped, as three zones were good enough to make the final. In the end, Janja Garnbret with three tops and Akiyo Nuguchi with two, starting last, were ahead of the others with a big margin. The only other two tops were made on a slab and otherwise we only saw four girls getting close to top one boulder. Complete results 1. Janja Garnbret SLO 34 2. Akiyo Noguchi JPN 24 (c) Vladek Zumr 3. Nanako Kura JPN 12 4. Ievgeniia Kazbekova UKR 12 5. Miho Nonaka JPN 3 6. Shauna Coxsey GBR 3

During the semifinal, the commentators said that Akiyo Noguchi was "clever" and "brilliant" as she stood an watched Futaba Ito for 30 seconds trying her next boulder. This means Akiyo violated the 8.8 rule. It should be mentioned that this rule is not perfectly clear but practiced for several years that you are not allowed to look at the other competitors. In any case, if Akiyo was allowed to look at the next boulder, everybody should be allowed to do the same, which would totally change the scene. "8.8 All rounds of boulder competitions shall be conducted under Isolation Conditions. Disqualification "gathering information about the routes/boulders other than as considered by the definition of Isolation Conditions (when such conditions are in force);" Isolation Conditions means that competitors within any given round of a competition are to make their attempts on any route/boulder in that round with knowledge of the relevant route/boulder limited to such information: (a) as may be gathered by observation from outside the Competition Area prior to the closing of the Isolation Zone for the relevant Category; (b) obtained during any collective observation period for the relevant route/boulders, from the area designated for such collective observation, including such information as may be shared between competitors participating in that collective observation period (and only where suchcompetitors have not yet made their attempts, or have each completed their attempts); or (c) obtained during the competitorโ€™s attempt(s) on the relevant route/boulders;"

Based on almost 1 000 unique votes, Adam Ondra is favorite to win Combined in Tokyo. The Bouldering qualification starts tomorrow. 50 % Adam Ondra 28 % Tomoa Narasaki 13 % Jakob Schubert 05 % Alex Megox 03 % Others 01 % Kokoro Fujii

Ondra win qually and 7 Japanese in Top-12
Adam Ondra was the only one to get five tops in the qualification and he did it in only six tries. In the second group, Japan set a new domination record by getting all the Top-6 positions. No big surprises as the result followed the starting order suggesting that the conditions deteriorated with more chalk and higher temperature. Complete results (c) Vladek Zumr From the Combined perspective, the Mawem brothers did really well. Mickael was #23 and Bassa, the #1 in the Speed WC, was #67 by doing one zone in three tries. Also QiXin Zhong was #67 by getting one Top and two zones in the other group. If any of them will win Speed, they have chances to qualify to the Combined Top-20 event and, if so, any of them will get the Olympic ticket.