Yoshiyuki Ogata, who won the last Boulder WC and holds the Japanese Speed record at 6.37, is not scheduled to compete in the Lead and Speed WC in 2019 as he failed to quality to team Japan. Kind of strange that Japan do not focus on the Combined WC and instead just pick the best from a qualification event of each discipline. This means that Ogata's only possibility to make it to the Olympics should be to be the best from Japan as well as within the Top-7 in the Combined World Championship in Tokyo 2020. Kind of unfair that the #4 in Combined in 2018 and a potential winner in Tokyo 2020 will have very hard time to qualify to the Olympics. (c) Eddie Fowke ”I’m so happy I can compete in World Championship because I will still have a chance!”

The Lead World Cup starts in Villars with the qualification on Friday. The ones going for the Combined will do their qualification on Thursday. Adam Ondra will not participate. It will be especially interesting to follow Shauna Coxey who has skipped all but two Boulder WCs and instead just focused on training Lead and Speed. Japan has 14 athletes competing due to their good overall result last year. IFSC reports 461 athletes are in their starting List. Tim Hatch has helped out with the real figures in the forum. ”I make the number 248 unique competitors, (135M, 113F) with 111M/94F starting in Lead and 94M/81F starting in Speed.” Saturday 06th May - Live streaming 10.00-12.30 Men & Women Lead Semi-finals [LIVE] 20.20-21.00 Men Lead Final [LIVE] 21.20-22.00 Women Lead Final [LIVE]

jedrzej wilczynski has repeated Martin Stranik's Hvězdná Relikvie 9a/8c+ or 8B+/B in Szklarska Porêba after 17 sessions spread out in a year. Last year the 45 year old did The Dagger Sit 8B+/C. Interesting is that he did his first 8A boulder when he was 38 years old so he is a true late bloomer. Great video

" Everyone who reaches 300 meters (approx. 66 boulders) take part in the final prize raffle." Join now and win

Tino Lois has done Clandestino 9a in Teverga after three years of projecting. (c) Nacho Caballero "Where I live is super for bouldering but not for sport climbing. This was the hardest route near home. I would like trying seriously a reference 9a+ or 9b just to push myself and know as hard it is when my body is fit. But its no possible for me now as I am working full time. I think I will check some project in Teverga. There are several really nice lines waiting for FA."

Isabelle Faus has done her 21st 8B, Jerimiah Low Start in Coal creek. Including also three 8B+ she is #2 in the All Time High ranking after Alex Puccio.

About expectations and reality, art and customer service, with panelists Niklas Wiechmann, Jackie Hueftle, Peter Zeidelhack, Katja Vidmar, Kaddi Lehmann

40 year old Bernd Zangerl has made the FA of Il Colonel SDS 8B+ (C) in the Italian region of Piemont, after some 15 days projecting since 2015. Since years he is regularly visiting Val di Orco, putting up numerous hard first ascents in the valley. The SDS consists of two super powerful movements, leading into the existing 8A+ standstart. "The line on this diamond shaped boulder is one of the best climbs I ever did - this alpine granite rock is just unique", Video. (c) Stefan Kürzi

00: Nina Arthaud FRA - Sam Avezou FRA 02: Luce Douady FRA - Paul Jenft FRA 04: Oriane Bertone FRA - Gergö Valyi HUN Updated results