1. Chaehyon Seo KOR 280 - Alex Megos GER 165 2. Janja Garnbret SLO 217 - Sasha Lehmann SUI 152 3. YueTong Zhang CHI 164 - William Bosi GBR 122 4. Natsuki Tanii JPN 145 - YuFei Pan CHI 117* 5. Mia Krampl SLO 137 - Domen Skofic SLO 110 6. Ai Mori JPN 120* - Sean McColl CAN 104 7. Lucka Rakovec SLO 114 - Adam Ondra CZE 100** 8. Ashima Shiraishi USA 102* - Hidemasa Nishida JPN 100** 9. Jessica Pilz AUT 96* - Jakob Schubert AUT 89* 10. Vita Lukan SLO 94 - Martin Stranik CZE 84* Complete ranking Another two female and male in the Top-14 ranking have skipped one event. As seven athletes will qualify to the Olympics in the WCH, one might assume that these guys will skip WC events in order to travel less and train more. The same goes even more for the ones who have qualified to Toulouse. In other words, it just might be that most of the best will skip several WC events and that the winner of the (male) Lead World Cup will not compete in Tokyo 2020.

R & I reports that due to the recent chopping action in Teen Sleep, bolting and chopping is now forbidden. “As of July 19, 2019, the USDA Forest Service will be enforcing regulations that prohibit constructing new climbing routes or trails on the Bighorn National Forest, including Ten Sleep Canyon. If an individual or group is manufacturing or creating new routes with any type of permanent hardware or apparatus to include bolts, glue, manufactured hand holds; or modifying routes through chipping or hammering new or existing holds, they will be subject to criminal fines, to include money for restitution to the impacted area.” Personally I think it was wrong by Rock and Ice to publish an open letter this spring in regards that the chipping had to be stopped in Teen Sleep, as it already had stopped one year ago. The chopping and the latest regulation enforced by USDA Forest Service are probably a reaction to the increased controversy created by the open letter.

Chaehyeon Seo, #3 in the 8a ranking game including Bad Girls Club 9a (8c+) which she did at age 14, is the big sensation in the Lead WC 2019. In her first ever WC she was #2 in both the semi and in the final and in Chamonix she was #1 in both the semi and the final, being 15 years old. Her father Jungkuk is running a gym and her mother is a former World Cup climber. Anyhow, comps is only part of her climbing life and she has already been on five long overseas climbing trips. "She won every lead comp in Korea! Only one time second place at combined comp next Jain Kim." Could you please explain how she trains? As usual, I trained my training program and created a new project route. Most of the project routes were routes with a level of difficulty of 8b. We focused on training finger strength, power and balance of muscles. I made new climbing problem every training day a little bit harder and harder. Generally she trains 4~5 times a week some four hours. 1st day= on sight climbing or project climbing. 2nd day = endurance climbing (60~70moves * 7~9set). Sometimes we have to go to Japan for bouldering."

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Chaehyon Seo and Natsuki Tanii topped both qualification routes and Janja Garnbret was #3 in the qualifications in Briancon. All six Slovenians female in Top-18! Among the male, Stefano Ghislofi won ahead of Alex Megos and Hannes Puman. Complete results. The semi starts 19.30.

The male semifinal turned out to have had probably the most sensational results ever in a Lead World Cup. Hidemasa Hida was #8 when the five best from the qualification remained but then four of them scored ten to 20 moves lower and Romain Desgranges was one + short to drop him out of the final. It was like humidity hit the wall but that was not the case as all the last female made it through. Chaehyon Seo (15) was last out and topped out easily. She just made her World Cup debut two weeks ago and was #2 in Villars and #1 in Chamonix. Complete results. In the end, Sean Bailey and Hiroto Shimizu are tied #1 into the final among the male.

For the first time ever I had my two sons (7 & 8) watching a live-streaming from the World Cup. Anyone having kids know that they are totally addicted to internet so they were pleased to swap the book for some additional computer time especially as we had a Swede as #3 from the qualification. We started midways in, to not get them bored but it did not take long until they did not seem so excited and started to ask questions. - Who is in the lead? Will she make it to the final? Which is his result? How far do they need to climb to get to the final? Which hold is 38? Why do they not show the clock or the results on the screen? Unfortunately I had very hard time to answer any of their questions although the results appeared on the screen like every ten minutes but just for few seconds. After a while I started to understand how far you needed to climb for being among the best but I could not explain it to them good enough. Anyhow they waited for Hannes Puman but one climber before more questions came up? - Why do they let the final climbers climb together? If we are unlucky we will not see Hannes at all. Suddenly, in the small screen we see Hannes for few seconds just when he had fallen. One of them get super frustrated meanwhile the older did not pay notice as he already had started to instead play FIFA on his mobile. I told them that I am sure we will see some replay but big No. - This is boring. I go to bed. This is the first time ever in their life as they have turned down computer time and instead said they opted for sleeping! If this would have been the semifinal in the Olympics, I guess 90 % of the million of spectators would have reacted the same as my sons, who are climbers. If just the route setters could have marked every fifth hold with a number and they would have had the results continuously on the screen it would have been so much more exciting and also somewhat understandable.

James Webb keeps delivering in Rocklands and the last week he has done three 8B+’. The Book Club in the great picture by Hanna Donnelly In total Jimmy has now done 105 boulders 8B+ to 8C+ and he is #1 in the ranking game. He is also a superior #1 counting only flashes with 117 8A and harder although he is knows for often giving personal down grades.

Matteo Menardi has done hos sixth 9a, Underground in Arco. (c) Marco Menardi "Last week I came to Torbole on holiday with my family, I also had to take two university exams. Since the conditions were quite good, I decided to try Underground. This unique route is split into two parts: the first features dynamic moves and ends with a "power-hungry" boulder problem, which is the crux. After a very good rest, there's the tricky second part, where in my opinion body tension plays a big role, especially at the very end. I tried the route for four days, yesterday I made no mistakes and got to the top."