UKC

If both Ondra and Shauna stood on a bolt, which I can't imagine either of them could conceivably have meant to do, and for all I know others did too - doesn't that rather suggest poor setting from the route setters?  If climbers can accidentally stand on a bolt, that's because the bolt is where a foothold should naturally be - and that means bad setting. No? Am I missing something?

At any rate it seems really off that athletes should be getting tripped up this way. Whilst trying to read a route they shouldn't be faced with also trying to work out some bizarre eliminate by also having to factor in "oh no I can't use that". 

Most of the time it happens when smearing or dragging a foot in a flag. I think it's impossible to tell where a foot might naturally land as people are different heights and have different climbing styles. The dualtex hold above the bolt that the setters placed on the women's final seems like a good solution. A hold manufacturer needs to invent slippy bolt-capping holds!

That makes sense! I don’t really have any idea how competition climbing works - it just seems a real shame when some of the best athletes end up being penalised for what are clearly involuntary errors 

Occasionally - as Jakob Schubert experienced in Chamonix a few years ago - you can accidentally end up using it as a foothold if it's near where you think a foothold is but don't look, especially when fatigued and just pushing through moves quickly. Your foot just hits something and you don't think it's a bolt, unless it feels suspiciously unlike the holds on the route.

There was 498 attempts on routes during the whole of the WCH in Hachioji. 2 people (accidentally) stood on bolts, so no I don't think it was bad setting.

That was good improvisation from the setters but it was just a hold they found in the lift. Someone needs to develop something for the setters, who need to plan these things in from the start - you can't just add a load of extra footholds at the last minute (even if they are rubbish) as they will have an affect on the route.

Yeah, it must be possible to design some sort of unusable bolt cover. Perspex, wood, foam of some sort...ideas on a postcard please!

Thanks Charlie and Mike for an excellent commentary. Must have been tiring! Thanks Charlie for this report and thanks to the IFSC for organising a fantastic World Championship.

I enjoyed the combined event more than I thought I would. It was quite thrilling until the end, so I think it will make it for a good show at the next Olympic with this format. Then, we'll see.

The one thing I am disappointed with though is the "standing on bolt" situation. I don't blame the route setters and I think it is fair that if the athletes broke the rule (accidentally, of course) they are penalised. What I thought it was poor was that the judge's decisions weren't made available to the public. I mean, if they used some different angles replay to get to the decision, they could have shown it on camera too, or add it later on the IFSC website, to make it clear for everybody.
Maybe for the Olympics the IFSC could consider making this decisions more transparent.

All considered, a fantastic event. Looking forward to Tokyo 2020!

Do we know it was only those 2? I wasn’t sure if it was just 2, or just those 2 that were reported on because they are high profile  

Yes, I do know because I was the head official at the event.

Well then I most certainly take your word for it!

Thanks for the info. 

Thanks for another excellent written analysis and announcing stint. You must be stealing secrets from top opera singers to keep your voice in shape. 

Question: when will Ondra get another shot to qualify? I heard some say Toulouse, but others said his rankings arent' high enough to be eligible for that and he'll have to wait until April. That would sure be a lot of "Road to Tokyo"s from now...

I'm also really glad Sean McColl qualified. He's fun to watch, and like Jakob, he has the ability to perform at his best when he needs it most. He's got a way to go. Also, as American, I'm pleasantly surprised we got one athlete through (Rabatou) and nearly got two more (Ruana, Coleman).

A really enjoyable event with great commentary. The format certainly works, a nail biting finale. Will you guys be doing the commentary at the Olympics?

"I've been quite amused that some climbing "journalists" (I use the term generously) claim to "know" that Japan will only select one climber per gender from Hachioji and have a document proving this but are unable to locate the document."

Those 'journalists' have probably seen this document you haven't: https://climbers-web.jp/news/20190521-1/
So for three months they know Japan only select one athlete if there are more than two who are eligible to qualify (i.e. are on the first seven places).

Also Akiyo has comfirmed she is selected for the Olympics: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1dKCA0AaMV/

Or recessed bolts. No reason they need to be on the front of the wall. The quickdraw is the only thing that needs to protrude. This would require some changes in the wall building process, but it's surely not that hard. 

Or just top rope the route...  

I understand that he needs to participate in one more Speed World Cup in order to qualify for Toulouse, so he'll have to compete in Xiamen, which I suspect will be a pain in the backside for him because I don't think he was originally planning to go.

Probably not! But here's hoping

...and lead comp too, no?

I’m guessing that with three WC lead comp opportunities still to come, he’ll manage to pick up a descent lead result to go with his Chamonix win other and good boulder results which I’d think would make the speed performance largely a formality.

Is Xiamen indoors? It’ll be a bit of a setback for him if the event gets rained off or some other such calamity prevents the comp taking place!

I think he's done enough Lead/Boulder comps now so he'll just have to do 1 more Speed event. Graeme will be able to confirm but as I understand it he's got the ranking points he needs, he just needs to participate in a minimum of 2 WCs in each discipline and he's not yet done 2 Speed events.

Luckily the Xiamen Speed wall is indoors but the Lead wall is outside and there is the occasional violent storm in the region so he'll be relieved not to need to compete!

That’s the thing, the IFSC scoring App suggest the Chamonix WC, which he won, was his only lead outing this year... i.e. he didn’t go to Villars and Braincon.

Either way I’m sure he’ll sort it all out at Xiamen.

Good job with the continuing marathon commentary stint.

Does it mean that if he's successful and gets a place, someone who's already qualified loses theirs?

No, currently he’s seeking qualification to the event in Toulouse which has 5 (or6?) new Olympic qualifying spots up for grabs.

Oh, I'd assumed that all the places had been won/allocated in Japan. 

No, the World Championships just gone only allocated the first 7 out of 20 places per gender.

All here in Charlie’s article...

https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/tokyo_2020_olympic_selection_explained-12167

Just to say I watched a lot of the recent IFSC events and I thought the commentary you and Mike provided was interesting, illuminating and well informed. Here's hoping you get to commentate at the Olympics, it's one of those skills people don't pay much attention too until you get someone who is crap at it!

Thanks for that, I appreciate it. Hopefully we'll make it to Tokyo!

grease/oil the bolts

A blob of Vaseline would do it. 

I think dog shit would be more effective. A quick sniff of Ondra's shoes and the judges could make an instant ruling.

Alternatively, the old Fontainebleau method of balancing sardine can ring-pulls on eliminated holds might be more palatable.

I think we need a buzzer system like that Operation game if a foot touches a bolt. At least no-one has cut their forearm open on one like I did at the wall once going for a hold!

... or maybe embrace the jeopardy and wire all bolt hangers up to a mains voltage supply. If anyone can stay on the wall after they've been zapped by one they're allowed to continue!

As fun as that suggestion at first might seem, I fear the rubber soles on climbing shoes may render the proposal less effective than you anticipate.

Hmm, hadn't considered that. Just have to up the voltage then!

"All in all it was a pretty disastrous trip to Japan for the French team". 

Genocide is shameful. Climate change is disastrous. 

Couldn't help but laugh. 

You resurrected this thread after almost a week just to show us how pompous and self-important you are?